


A Long Time Ago We Used To Be Friends

by kittymannequin



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Asami/OC - Freeform, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Korra/Kuvira - Freeform, Korrasami is clear endgame, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-07
Updated: 2016-12-07
Packaged: 2018-04-08 05:16:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 40
Words: 154,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4292100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittymannequin/pseuds/kittymannequin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kittymannequin: lover of smut and angst, anothershotofbourbon: lover of long winded descriptions and perpetually confused, with their powers combined they are Kitty Bourbon! Together their powers will bring you an epic, a Friends to Lovers fic in a modern au that will span decades, and cover a spectrum of emotions! A Long Time Ago We Used To be Friends will be a korrasami fic that starts in middle school, goes through high school and college before ending in the post college lives of everyone involved. Rated 'mature' for obvious reasons.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Asserting Dominance

Can you imagine anything worse than changing schools in the sixth grade? Right smack dab in the middle of middle school. Truly Korra could suffer no worse fate. Except maybe death. Or having to hang out with a cute boy after soccer practice.

Then her father’s job delayed the move several days so she actually missed the start of school. An entire week of school missed, now she was not only new but behind.

It was going to be the absolute worst. No friends, new school, new house, and she’d have to start after everyone found their friends and started hanging out with each other. She knew she’d never survive.

At least Korra's mother was able to sign her up for sports. And she’d be able make the first practice of the season for fall soccer and girls volleyball.

It was poor eleven year old Korra's desperate hope that she could at least make one friend at either of these two practices before school started so she wouldn't be totally alone. Sports were always the great equalizer for Korra. She excelled at most sports, soccer and basketball being her two favorites. Since basketball didn’t start for a couple of months, Korra had to settle for soccer and volleyball, which she liked just fine but it wasn’t really a contact sport and to her, that robbed it of some of its fun.

Her mom dropped her off with an embarrassing kiss to the top of the head.

"Mooooom," Korra whined as she tried to disentangle herself from the clutches of Senna.

"Have fun dear, don't try too hard and show everyone up."

Korra stopped, turned, put both hands on her hips and declared, "Fat chance."

Senna only smiled because that really was her daughter, there was just so much of her father in her.

Korra ran over to the coach and introduced herself.

The team played some introductory games to get to know everyone and then did basic drills for the rest of the hour. By all accounts an easy practice.

During the drills Korra caught the gaze of a boy who, by the looks of him was an average kid if a little on the tall side. Korra grinned at him with her little half smile.

He was running faster and further than the other kids, but Korra decided to show him up and pretty soon was outrunning and pacing the poor child who didn't know what to expect.

The coach had them running up and down the field, kicking the ball the whole way.

Korra and the boy were both in the front of the crowd of fifth and sixth grades running faster than everyone else, kicking the ball with more care and precision than the other preteens.

She immediately took it as a challenge and started trying to beat the green eyed boy with the dark hair.

He didn’t make it easy, but in the end Korra still won out, being both slightly taller, and a better soccer player.

"Wow you're fast!" he said in between breaths after the last drill.

Korra grinned wide and pat him on the back. "You're not so bad yourself!"

"Name’s Bolin," he said sticking out his hand for Korra to shake.

She took and they vigorously shook hands, and from the force, entire bodies.

"Hehe, I'm Korra. I'm new here."

"I'm the goalie here. I'm guessing you want to be a striker?"

"Nah midfield," Korra boasted. "I want to be everywhere. Front, back, offense, defense."

"That's a lot of running," Bolin grinned, "but you're fast enough to handle it. You just move here?"

"Yeah," Korra said. "I'm originally from Canada."

Bolin's eyes grew wide in shock and disbelief, almost like he didn’t believe it was a real place.

"No way!"

"Yeah! I'm just glad you guys have a coed team. I like playing with boys and girls. It's lame with just one."

"You're so cool!"

Korra punched Bolin in the arm. "Same to you."

"Hey! Try me! I wanna know if you can shoot!"

Bolin sprinted over to the goal and got ready to defend it as Korra kicked the ball around for a moment.

They played against each other for a little while, for each goal Korra scored, Bolin saved one.

"Korra!" Senna called, she’d been distracted talking to the coach about practice and games and uniforms and things. "We're going to be late for volleyball practice!"

"I gotta go. Thanks Bolin. You're pretty good!"

Bolin waved to her as she left. "You too! See you in school on Monday! I hope we're in the same class!"

“Hey, you need a ride or anything?”

“Nah, my brother’s gonna come by and pick me up in a little bit and we’re gonna walk home together. I’ll be fine.”

Korra ran to her mother and jumped into the car as they sped off to the last practice of the evening.

"Looks like someone made a friend," Senna remarked.

"His name's Bolin and he's a goalie."

"So you'll have someone else to kick soccer balls at all day then. Your father will be thrilled."

They arrived at volleyball practice only ten minutes late.

Korra quickly pulled off her cleats and shin guards and replaced them both with sneakers and knee guards.

She grabbed her uniform from the coach and slipped it on. Delighted to see that she was number 42, she grinned to herself.

"Looks like I'm the answer to life, the universe and everything," she said, her grin widening with the words.

"Yeah you are," the words came as a sudden, quick response from a girl passing her by. What she saw when she looked up was a dark haired, pale girl, eyeing her carefully as she strode to the rest of their teammates.

“Who’s the new girl?” asked the redhead next to Asami, who by some horrible twist of fate (her parents don’t have a great sense of humor) was named Ginger.

“I don’t know, but she looks like she owns the place,” said another girl, one of the better players on the team. They were all talking about the new girl, the girl with the trail of dirt following her from the soccer field, and the confident, unyielding pose with her wide eyes looking around like she was sizing up opponents.

Asami agreed but didn’t say anything. Korra was new, so she should at least try to give her the benefit of the doubt, right? But volleyball was Asami’s game, so she wouldn’t pull any punches against anyone, new or not.

Once again introductions were done and some basic drills followed. And once again Korra's natural competitiveness fired up and she had to be number one. This time, Asami Sato was not going to be as easy to push over as Bolin.

By the end of the drills and runs and stretches both girls were huffing and puffing but not giving an inch. For everything Korra did, Asami did one more, and then Korra tried to beat her and did another one. It was a perpetual motion machine of competitiveness.

The coach ended practice by making the girls scrimmage against each other, just a friendly little game to test everyone’s abilities and see who could do what. What it turned into was basically Korra and Asami taking over their teams as captains and ushering the girls around like generals.

Every time Asami hit the ball over the net, Korra was in the exact spot she hit it to, returning the ball almost immediately.

For every set Korra executed, Asami was right there to block it.

There was something about the two of them that made them bitter enemies on opposite sides of the court. They could read each other so well that it made countering almost impossible. Heaven only knows what hell the two eleven year olds could rain down if they were on the same side.

The game was supposed to be short. Instead practice ran over by twenty minutes, until it was just Asami staring Korra down from across the net.

“I’m Korra,” she said extending a hand under the net.

“I’m Asami,” the girl responded shaking her hand.

“You’re pretty good.”

“So are you.”

“Sorry I’m so competitive.”

“Me too.”

“I can see my mom giving me the death glare. I gotta get going. See you in school on Monday?”

Asami nodded and went to grab her things.

“Did you make any friends?” Senna asked her only daughter.

“Eh…”

“Any enemies?”

“Hey, you mess with the bull!” Korra said as she mimicked some bull horns on her head.

“Between you and your father,” Senna sighed.

 

 


	2. Did We Just Become Best Friends?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra makes friends!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bourbon here. So apparently the benefits of working with a wonderful partner is that we are able to do longer chapters, faster! Mwuahahaha.
> 
> Anyways, enjoy.

The first week of class was an experience for Korra. She was in the same class as Asami and the girl named Ginger.

She had to sit right in front of the teacher, which was her least favorite position. And also, who in the gods’ name thought of morning classes? People should sleep till noon, to say the least. Or, if they really wanna wake up early, let others enjoy the bliss of sleep however long they want. In Korra’s dictionary that meant till 2 in the afternoon, thank you very much.

To make matters even more awkward, right next to Korra sat none other than Asami Sato. Whenever she’d glance to her right, she’d catch a glimpse of the other girl’s dark hair and the way her pale skin contrasted with it and it reminded her of their first meeting on the volleyball court yesterday.

The math teacher was talking about something and Korra was trying to pay attention, it was her first day of school after all, but math has never been her thing. She shifted awkwardly in her spot a few times, twirled her pencil between her fingers, took a few notes and scribbled a few sketches around the edges. A nudge on her left got her attention and she turned to her side just as a piece of paper was slipped on her table. The girl on the left was the same one from practice last night, Ginger, was it? She looked at Korra, grinned and turned back to face the teacher.

As she opened the tiny piece of paper, she scrunched her brows. It only said ‘Pass this to Asami’.

Well. Couldn’t she have just whispered that?

Korra quickly passed the paper onto Asami’s table and continued passing notes between the two girls through the class. As the bell sounded she shot up, glancing at Ginger.

“Sorry about that.” The girl with bright red hair spoke. “I’m Ginger.” She stretched out her hand and Korra took it, offering a polite shake. “Wanna hang out with us?”

Korra glanced to Asami who simply shrugged so she mumbled a quick, “Sure,” and they were out the door together.

By the time the second class started, Ginger was, for the third time, mulling over the story about that awesome new shop her mom had taken her to, Korra was rolling her eyes and counting the minutes till lunch and Asami was just glancing around, occasionally eyeing Korra. The rivalry between that sparked on the very first day they met each other was already a palpable bond they shared. But being around each other felt okay. Korra even caught Asami laughing at a few jokes she’d mumbled, while Ginger simply stared at her, confused and lost.

“So you’re gonna do soccer as well? Aren’t you gonna have trouble?” Ginger asked, eyes set on Korra as the girls walked through the halls to their next class.

“Nah, I can handle it.”

“We’ll see about that.” Asami added.

“You sure will.” Korra grinned widely as they entered their next classroom.

History, one last class before lunch. She was so close she could feel her stomach rumbling. Soon enough even her mouth would start watering just from the thought of food

"Hungry?" Asami asked.

"Famished."

"Here," she said as she quietly slipped Korra a Reese's peanut butter cup. The only other one in the two pack.

"Really? Thanks!" Korra shoved the entire thing in her mouth in one bite.

Asami laughed once, shook her head, and sat down for class.

This time, thankfully, Korra had to sit behind Asami but nowhere near Ginger so she wouldn't have to play carrier pigeon all class. Why couldn't they have picked an easier class to pass notes in? They had to pick the one class Korra needed to absolutely pay attention to.

History was easy.

"Korra why don't you tell us about Canada?" The matronly teacher asked.

"Uh..." Korra said as she waited for her brain to engage. "It's really big. It's also really cold. Some people speak French, a lot don't. The word Canada means ‘village’ in Iroquoian language. There’s a hotel in Quebec that is rebuilt each year from snow. It, obviously, melts in summer."

"Mm, yes. Well thank you Korra. Now we will continue our discussion of the Revolution."

She sighed the second the spotlight was off her.

When she looked up she saw Asami with her hand down below her desk waving a little piece of paper at her.

She "dropped" her pencil and grabbed the note from Asami.

"Korra" the front said in very neat handwriting so much unlike her own. Inside it read, "sorry about Ginger. She's nice enough. But sometimes I think if she ever stops talking her brain would start working and who knows what that would be like."

Korra scribbled back. "It would be very human. And as a resident of Betelguese I find this mostly harmless. Mostly."

She crumbled up the note and threw it beneath Asami's desk. The girl in front of her picked up the note, read it, and turned around slightly to offer a small smile of understanding but was immediately interrupted by, "Miss Sato! Stop fidgeting and pay attention!"

The notes, unsurprisingly, stopped right after that.

When the bell rang for lunch it almost seemed like the entire class was out to leave her behind. Korra barely had time to grab her brown bag lunch out of her desk before the classroom was emptied of students.

She followed the rush of students at a slightly slower pace. When she entered the cafeteria she was temporarily paralyzed with fear.

There had to be a hundred tables all full of students. And Korra knew none of them. Was she destined to eat alone in some corner or the bathroom?

Oh god this was it. Awkward death.

Then she saw a pair of green eyes, dark haired boy waving frantically to her from across the lunch room.

She smiled and walked over to Bolin.

On the way she spied Ginger and Asami sitting nearby and Ginger tried to wave her over.

"Sorry I promised to sit with Bolin today," Korra said. "Maybe some other time?"

Ginger rolled her eyes while Asami, looking up from her book, gave Korra a kind of knowing shrug before going back to her reading.

"Korra! This is my big bro Mako! Mako, Korra. Korra, Mako," Bolin said excitedly.

"Hey," the dour eyed, serious looking seventh grader said.

"Hey yourself," Korra responded. "Thanks for letting me sit with you guys."

"Korra just moved here. From Canada!" Bolin told his brother excitedly. "She's on the soccer team as midfielder and she's fast! Pretty good shot too!"

"Really?" Mako said. "I'm on the seventh and eighth grade team. I play forward."

"Nice," Korra remarked. "Ok I gotta ask, you guys follow the World Cup?"

Bolin's eyes lit up and Mako looked up from his pallid school provided lunch.

"As close as we can," Mako answered.

"Man I'd love to play professional ball!" Bolin remarked. "I think I got the moves."

"So who do you root for?" Korra asked as she tore into her sandwich without even looking at it.

"America of course," Bolin puffed his chest out.

Korra sighed. "I fear our friendship maybe short lived. I have to root for my homeland, O Canada." Which of course led into her giving a hearty rendition of the start of the national anthem (or at least the beginning parts that she remembered) pushing Bolin into a fit of laughter and a wry smile from Mako.

"I don't know," Mako said. "Canada is good but I don't think they have the defense to go very far."

Korra gasped on in overly dramatic show of offense which caused Bolin to almost choke on his sandwich.

"Yeah you're right," she admitted. "It's all about the women's soccer though. We play so much better than you guys do."

What followed for the rest of lunch a series of "I'm tougher than you" or who would win in a match competitions that continued well after the bell and back upstairs to class.

Korra waved goodbye to Bolin and Mako as she returned to class.

The rest of the day was much like the first half. Though the day seemed to drag as she got closer to the end of the day, and soccer practice, glorious outdoor active soccer practice.

* * *

 

Finally, after much prodding Korra, hung out with Ginger. Part of it was a promise to show her to the best local ice cream shop, part of it was because Ginger lived only a few houses down from her.

So Saturday afternoon Korra made her way to Ginger's house only to find the redhead and Asami outside already waiting for her.

"Hey Ginger, hey Asami."

"Hey Korra!" Ginger said excitedly.

"Korra," Asami nodded. She might have been a little upset that Korra showed her up in the most recent volleyball practice.

They walked to the ice cream shop and each got their favorites. Chocolate vanilla swirl for Korra, mint chocolate chip for Ginger, and Asami got peanut butter chocolate. The trio ate their ice cream, talked, gossiped a little and walked back to Ginger's house.

When they got there Ginger's parents were out, so they followed Ginger to her computer room.

They were talking about boys and people in their class and filling Korra in on who was who and their various social hierarchy statuses.

Ginger got on her computer she claimed so they could all talk on AIM to one of their friends who went to another school, but it quickly devolved into Ginger talking to various boys.

Conversations that didn't include Korra and were to people she didn't know bored her, as much as it bored Asami apparently.

Green eyes caught blue as they sat on the floor. Asami rolled her eyes as Ginger giggled and Korra smiled back.

"I'm so bored," she mouthed.

"Me too!" Asami mouthed back.

Korra started miming hitting her head against the wall and Asami nodded back.

"I'm gonna get a snack," Asami said as she stood up and motioned for Korra to follow her.

She did and once they were in Ginger’s kitchen looked at Asami said, "I'm so bored. This is awful."

Asami nodded. "I know. She gets like this when there's a new boy she likes."

Korra made a disgusted face.

"What there's no boys you like?" Asami teased.

"No!" Korra said defensively.

"Not even Bolin? You two seem to be quite the pair."

"Bo? He's a friend and a good goalie," Korra said while looking at her feet.

“What about his older brother?”

“Mako? What about him?”

“You like him don’t you?”

Korra didn’t say anything.

"Relax, I'm just teasing," Asami said.

Korra stuck her head back in the computer room and saw that Ginger didn't even notice they were gone.

"You know where we can get some good snacks?" Korra asked.

"Not really. Ginger's parents are like weird vegetarians."

"My new house," Korra said with a smile. "Let's just leave. She'll be occupied and we can go do something actually interesting."

"I don't know," Asami said. Abandoning a friend didn't seem like a great idea to her. But it beat staring at the wall for the next hour until she made an excuse to go home. "Ok, let's tell Ginger."

"Nope! It's a breakout!" Korra said in a low whisper. "And in a breakout you can't just tell the guards."

Asami smiled. "You're absolutely right. Now follow me. I can get us out of here without being detected."

"Ok," Korra nodded as Asami stepped into the hallway and carefully avoided the creaking floor boards, down the half flight of stairs toward the basement, and then carefully coaxed the side door open without a sound. Korra followed diligently and once they were outside they shut the door and Korra started running.

For some reason Asami thought they were caught by Ginger and took off running right behind Korra.

Korra ran up to her house and into the back door.

"Mom! A rescue!"

Senna looked up from her book and asked, "What am I rescuing you from today?"

"Ginger's house was soooo boring."

"We escaped by digging an underground tunnel using mostly spoons," Asami said.

"Long story short the cops are probably looking for us. Can we trust you to hide us?" Korra asked.

Senna shrugged and said, "sure. There are snacks in the fridge downstairs."

The second Korra and Asami were downstairs they both erupted into a fit of laughter.

"That was more fun than it should have been," Asami admitted.

Korra was just finishing showing Asami a tour of her house when she heard a knock at the back door.

“Hello,” they heard Senna call.

“Hi, is Korra or Asami here?”

“Ginger!” Korra whispered. She immediately jumped over the couch and hide behind it, dragging Asami with her.

The two girls crouched behind the couch even though there was a flight of stairs, four different walls, a floor, and about sixty feet separating them from Ginger. Asami was desperately trying to stifle her uncontrollable giggles.

“No, I haven’t seen them,” Senna could be heard.

Asami made to stand up, but Korra grabbed her hand to keep her from standing up. “We’re not out in the open yet.”

Senna walked down stairs. “She’s gone girls. Now Asami, would you like to stay for dinner?”

“Um…” Asami said.

“Come on!” Korra said as she climbed over the couch. “We make delicious food!”

“You’re more than welcome,” Senna said.

“If you don’t mind. Thank you.”

“Any friend of Korra’s is welcome here any time,” Korra’s mother said as she walked back upstairs.

“Yeah, come on friend!” Korra said. “I gotta show you my room.”

The first thing that struck Asami was posters. There were posters all over the walls. Most prominently was an action poster of Mia Hamm, the professional female soccer player for the Americans.

Among other posters were a couple of bands Asami kinda liked and a few she’d never even heard of. Must be Canadian.

The boxes still unpacked, filled with books. Douglas Adams featured prominently on top.

“Sorry for the mess,” Korra said, even though it would still be as messy as this even when she does finish unpacking. “I still haven’t finished unpacking.”

“I get it,” Asami responded as she looked around. “Moving is hard.”

Asami poked around a couple of boxes and suddenly she gasped, “Oh my god, Korra. What is this?”

She pulled out a brightly colored CD jewel case.

Korra saw what was in her hand and yelled, “Give me that!’ She tried to snatch the CD from Asami, but she was too quick and ran from Korra by jumping over her bed.

“I didn’t know you liked the Spice Girls,” Asami teased as she continued to lead Korra on a merry chase around the room.

“I don’t!” Korra shouted. “It’s… my… mom’s! She needed a spot for some of her stuff!”

Toppling over a lamp, Korra finally caught up with Asami and almost tackled her on the bed, much to Asami’s constant giggling.

The tan girl wrest the CD from the pale girl’s grip.

“You can’t tell anyone about this,” Korra yelled. “I don’t even like them that much!”

Asami finally finished giggling enough to get around to saying, “It’s totally fine. Your secret is safe with me, so long as you don’t tell anyone I’m a fan too.”

“I’m totally gonna tell everyone!” Korra shouted through giggles.

“But then I’m gonna tell everyone about you too,” Asami’s raised eyebrow and smug smirk caused a frown to appear on Korra’s face.

“Damn.”

“Language, young lady!” Came a loud shout from the kitchen. Senna had an almost supernatural ability to hear Korra’s mischief.

“Seems we hit a wall,” Korra said.

“Seems that way indeed.”

“What do we do now? We both know too much.”

Asami sighed and sat up, looking suddenly serious. “There’s only one option.”

“Which is?”

“The only thing to do: be best friends.”

Korra gave Asami a wide grin. "Done."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you haven't caught on, this takes place roughly in the late 90's, not terribly specific.  
> Chapter next: sleepovers!


	3. Sleeping Arrangements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can you say 'sleepovers'?

It only took a couple of days, but Korra, Asami, Bolin, and Mako were quickly thick as thieves.

Korra and Bolin were bonding quickly over their love of soccer and the outdoors.

Korra and Mako bonded over their sheer focus and dedication, but Mako never really seemed to be available to hang out as much outside of school.

The real inseparable pair were Korra and Asami. The girls had become really close and talked almost constantly. The only friction between them was during practice where Asami refused to give up the #1 spot on the team to Korra so easily. But that only deepened their growing friendship. The competition was just as much a fire for them. They weren’t going to pull punches or go easy on each other, Korra found someone that she felt like she needed to compete harder, not necessarily against, but for.

The crew had been assembled for a little over a month when Korra announced that she wanted to have them all over for a party/sleepover thing. Pizza, movies, snacks, soda, everything that a decent sleepover needed.

Asami was the first one over to Korra’s that weekend. The girls had volleyball practice that afternoon, so Tonraq just brought them back to his house when they were done.

Korra gave Asami the coveted option of taking a shower first, because Korra was self aware enough that she’d probably use all of the hot water, and one doesn’t give your guest and best friend a cold shower.

Once Asami finished up in the shower, dried off, and changed she went to Korra’s room to quadruple check her overnight bag. Toothbrush, toothpaste, pajamas, pillow, change of clothes for tomorrow. The way Asami packed, you’d think it was her first sleepover. And you’d probably be right. Unless that time she spent at Ginger’s with three other girls and it was so boring and repetitive that Asami was actually happy when she wound up getting the flu in the middle of the party and went home to spend the rest of the weekend in bed.

Korra came out of the shower a few minutes later and looked at Asami’s bag and asked, “You moving in?”

Asami chuckled. “Well I’m a lady who requires lots of pampering!”

“I bet you are. Come on, let’s go downstairs. The boys will be here soon.”

As soon as they settled in the living room, Senna brought a bowl of crisps and two glasses of juice, and they quickly snuggled one next to the other on the couch, watching a cartoon they’d managed to pester Tonraq into letting them watch. He reluctantly gave up the game and moved to sit on one of the chairs, picking up the morning newspaper he’d already skimmed through twice and chuckled every once in a while as each girl mumbled a quirky remark at the cartoon.

“You like Digimon too?” Korra finally managed to draw her eyes away from the creatures running around the tv screen and onto Asami whose eyes were almost glued to it, much like Korra’s had been moments ago.

“Uh, duuuh? Only a lot?” Asami nudged her lightly and focused back on the cartoon.

“Ok, ok, who’s your favorite though?” Korra asked immediately.

“Renamon!”

“Cool!” Korra nudged Asami this time and turned her attention to the tv before mumbling, “Mine’s Agumon.”

“Of course you would.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.”

The episode was ending and they were in luck because the next show up was another episode of the cartoon. The second the theme song started they both started singing along as loud as possible only to receive massive eye rolling and chuckling from Tonraq.

Just as the girls finished their serenade of Korra’s dad, there was a loud knock at the door.

Korra rushed over to it and threw open the door, “Bolin! Mako! Come in!”

“Hey Korra!” Bolin said. “Nice house!” He shouted, shrugging off his well worn and threadbare jacket and stomping his way inside.

Mako followed with a quiet “Good evening,” and quickly moved to the side, sliding off his own patchwork jacket off and letting Senna, who’d joined them in the room, take it and place it on the coat hanger along with Bolin’s.

“Come on, guys, we’re totally gonna miss the movie!” Korra almost yelled at them as she tugged on Bolin’s arm, pulling him into the room.

“Um Korra, it’s a rental.” Asami teased from the couch. “Remember? We were at Blockbuster together yesterday…”

“Aww c’mon Sami, now they’re gonna be even slower,” Korra whined but let go of Bolin’s arm and pointed towards the two armchairs placed next to the couch as she flopped down next to Asami. “These are yours!”

“But I wanted the couch,” Bolin added with a mopey face and Mako smacked him over the shoulder.

“We’re gonna take the chairs, thanks,” he added and glared at Bolin who moved slowly to one chair and sat down just as Senna brought two more glasses of juice and more crisps.

“Oh come on, sourpuss,” Korra said. “We can totally all fit on the couch if that’s what Bo really wants.”

She sat down heavily next to Asami and pushed in closer to her, forcing Asami into the corner by the armrest leaving plenty of space for both Mako and Bolin, who eagerly leapt off the arm chair and landed on the couch.

Mako eyed them suspiciously. But took the seat in the middle right next to Korra.

“Yeah we totally fit!” Korra said with a grin towards Mako.

“Hey, speak for yourself,” Asami said.

“Let’s watch Star Wars!” Korra yelled, adding, “I am Obi-Wan!”

“Ok, Obi-Wan, slow down,” Senna said. “What do you kids like on your pizza?”

“Sausage!” Korra yelled out but her mother’s stern look made her gaze away and mumble a silent “Sorry.”

“I’m with Korra on this,” Bolin added and earned himself another scowling look from Mako but this time eyed him back and almost yelled out, “What?!”

“Nothing,” Mako grumbled and looked up at Senna, “Anything is great, thank you.”

“Yeah, same here.” Asami finally jumped into the conversation, trying to earn herself a bit more space by pushing her elbow lightly against Korra’s side.

“Thank you Misses Nizhoni,” Mako said.

“Don’t worry about it,” Senna said with a smile. “You kids enjoy your movie, I’ll order the pizzas.”

“Movie time!” Korra yelled as she jumped off the couch and slid the VHS tape into the VCR and fiddled with the remote.

About twenty seconds later everyone in the house was deafened by the sound of the THX opening.

“Korra…” Tonraq’s voice came in the silence that followed the 20th Century Fox drum roll.

“I’m working on it!” she called back as she turned down the volume.

Her task completed, she jumped back on the couch, back between Asami and Mako, this time partially sitting on them both.

Korra and Asami were both humming along to the theme song, Mako had a smile despite himself, and Bolin was eating all of the snacks.

Eventually all four of them were quoting the movie at each other. Asami was, of course, giving voice to Leia, Korra had already called dibs on Obi-Wan and wound up playing Han too, so that left Mako to be Luke, and Bolin doing a pretty passable Darth Vader impersonation.

Even for a bunch of twelve-year-olds, Star Wars had to be the biggest and most amazing thing to even appear on tv screens and seriously, who wouldn’t geek out over it?

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Korra? Asami?” Senna’s voice was as silent as possible as she tiptoed her way into the living room, the static after the credits screen welcoming her instead of the kids. She flicked the light switch on and waited, a knowing smirk playing on her lips.

“Hnnh, Misses Nizhoni?” Asami finally stirred out of her light slumber, eyes steadily adjusting to the sudden light. She shifted in the chair, having moved there some time ago, and eyed the rest of the gang slumped against each other on the couch, snoring lightly.

“No more starting movies past 9 for you guys, you’re clearly all ready for bed by 10,” Senna chuckled and walked over to the couch, nudging Korra, who’d slumped against Mako.

“Hhhnnngh, what? Noodles?” Korra murmured, still in her sleepy haze.

Mako was the second to open his eyes and rub at them lightly, nudging Bolin with a hushed voice, “Come on Bo, time to leave.”

“But I don’t want the blue one,” Bolin whined, still sleeping, much like Korra.

Asami chuckled and leaned over to the couch, poking Korra’s cheek. “Sleepyhead.”

Korra finally opened her eyes and glanced at Asami, lips spreading into a smile. “I dreamt of noodles.”

“That’s great sweetie,” Senna quipped, placing a gentle hand over Korra’s cheek, “Dad’s gonna take the boys home now and you two should go brush your teeth and head to bed, okay?”

“Mhm,” Korra nodded and looked to the boys, “Thanks for coming.”

“Come on boys,” Tonraq said. “I’ll give you a lift.”

“It’s ok, Mister Nizhoni,” Mako said. “We can walk.”

“It’s no trouble,” he said to the 12 year old. “You can’t walk home this late.”

“We’ve done it tons of times.”

“Not tonight. You’re getting a ride.”

Mako didn’t seem terribly happy with this turn of events, but he knew that he shouldn’t argue. There was no real way out of this predicament.

The three boys climbed in the car and Tonraq started driving, with Mako giving directions. After driving for almost fifteen minutes they pulled up in front of a large, dilapidated building. The lawn was brown and dying. There were overgrown weeds and several of the street lights looked purposefully broken, casting the street into a creepy semi-darkness.

“What the-” Tonraq muttered to himself under his breath.

“You can just let us out here,” Mako said. “We can walk the rest of the way.”

The headlights of the car fell upon the words: Beverly Orphanage.

“Our parents died six years ago,” Mako said, pre-empting the question.

He stopped the car and Mako and Bolin climbed out. Tonraq followed them inside. What he found was the worst orphanage he’s ever seen. The dirty tile floors looked like it hadn’t ever been cleaned. The paint was peeling off the walls. There was no security or any responsible looking adult to look after the kids coming and going. Or anyone else for that matter. There was one sleeping security guard, who didn’t even notice the three of them.

“No,” Tonraq said almost to himself. “Boys, get your stuff. You’re coming back with me.”

“Mister Nizhoni,” Mako said. “We can’t.”

“And I can’t leave you here. Besides, why should the girls get to have all the fun?” he said with a forced smile. “Come on.”

Mako opened his mouth to say something, but the look in Tonraq’s eyes stopped him.

Bolin just looked excited. He’d never been invited to a sleepover like this before.

“What should we take?” he asked.

“Just grab everything you’ve got,” Tonraq said. “I don’t think we’ll be coming back anytime soon.”

Bolin ran off, but Mako was much more cautious about the whole thing.

It only took the boys five minutes to grab all of their stuff and get back in the car.

Not one person even bothered to ask about them or who Tonraq was and why he was taking small children out of the orphanage at ten at night.

With the boys back in the car, Tonraq drove perhaps a bit too fast back to his house.

Once back, he helped them bring their stuff back into the house.

“Senna? Honey?” he called tentatively.

“Tonraq? What is it?” she called from upstairs.

“You boys can have the pullout bed in the basement. I’ll go let Korra know you’re here,” he said as he moved to go upstairs, but he suddenly stopped. “No funny business with the girls. Right?”

“Right!” Mako said, straightening his back.

“Absolutely sir!” Bolin said with a salute.

“Good.”

With that, Tonraq went upstairs to talk to his wife.

First he knocked on Korra’s door. “Hey, your friends are actually spending the night. They’re down in the basement. Would you mind going down there and setting up the pullout bed for them?”

Korra, who was in the middle of discussing cute boys with Asami, nodded and dragged her friend with her downstairs.

Then Tonraq entered his bedroom where his wife lay on the bed reading.

“What happened?” she asked. She knew that look that he had. He’d done something he probably shouldn’t have.

“I might have… accidentally… adopted Mako and Bolin.”

“You what?”

“They were living in an orphanage. The worst orphanage ever. It looked like they had decorated it for a horror movie. And there was no security or supervision or anything. They were basically homeless. So I brought them back with me.”

For a second Senna just looked at her husband with slight disbelief.

“So you brought them back here with us?”

“Well I couldn’t just leave them there, now could I?”

“I… Yes, you’re right, honey. But what are we going to feed them? You know how much Korra eats. And where are they going to sleep?”

“I have Korra setting up the pullout bed in the basement for them. And I don’t know, but do you want me to just send them back there?”

“No. No,” Senna sighed. “You’re right. This is just… a lot.”

“I know, I know. But you are so understanding,” Tonraq said. “You’re the best wife.”

Before he could continue there was a timid knock at the bedroom door.

The patriarch opened the door to find Mako standing there. He held out his hand and put a bunch of crumpled up dollars and change into Tonraq’s hands.

“What’s this?” Tonraq asked.

“Thank you for everything sir. I got some money for mowing lawns the other day, but I had to buy Bolin a new pencil case because he broke his last week. I can mow more lawns and fix things and stuff until I’m old enough to get a real job and I’ll repay you I promise.”

Tonraq said nothing, he just turned to look at his wife with such a hurt look in his eyes that basically said, “How can I say no to this?”

Senna got up and walked over to Mako. “Keep it.”

“But Misses Nizhoni, I need to repay you somehow for helping Bolin and me.”

She smiled. “I’m sure we can think of something. Tonraq here likes to ‘fix’ things around the house. I’m sure it will be… well not easier, but less messy, if you were to help him. And you can always help Korra with her chores.”

Tonraq pushed the money back into the stunned Mako’s hands.

“Don’t worry about it now,” he said. “We can talk about it later. Right now I’m sure Korra has some kind of late night game she wants all of you to play until you all fall asleep.”

Mako nodded, said another thank you, and went back to the basement where Korra was trying to convince everyone that playing truth or dare was totally a great idea.

Senna looked up at her husband. “I hope this works out.”

Tonraq nodded. “But you know, with an extra set of hands… I was thinking about putting on a deck in the back.”

“No.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kitty here, I just wanted to say thank you all for all the feedback, it's been overwhelming and beautiful!


	4. Graduation, Friends Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We encounter a bit of a time jump here. We go from sixth to the end of the eighth grade, and with everyone picking high schools there's a pretty decent chance the crew is going to be broken up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suggested listening: Vitamin C's Graduation (Friends Forever) which everyone had as their graduation song in the early 2000's. EVERYONE.

“You have fun now,” Tonraq told his daughter in the blue dress as he dropped her off outside the school hall.

Korra rolled her eyes. “Are dresses really necessary for school dances?”

“You have to look your best.”

“My best would be in pants.”

“Oh just go, have fun. No kissing boys,” Tonraq told his daughter as he gave her a gentle push out of the car.

Korra reluctantly stepped out of the car, but she practically ran when she spotted Asami getting out of her own driver’s car.

“Asami! Bye dad!”

Asami was stepping out of her father’s driver’s car. She just come from another argument with the man. Another argument about her school. The same one she’s been having for a year now. Ever since the subject of high school came up, ever since she realized she’d have to leave her friends behind.

Her disposition changed when she saw her best friend in the whole world running towards her.

“Her Korra,” she said relishing the hug she got, as there might not be too many of them left.

“You ready to tear up this dance floor?” Korra asked with a frown.

“Oh come on, it won’t be that bad,” Asami said as she took Korra’s arm.

“You remember the seventh grade dance?” Korra asked. “The one last year?”

“Yeah…” Asami said.

“I doubt anyone is going to want to dance with me this year,” she complained.

“You could always dance with Bolin… or Mako,” Asami teased.

“I TOLD YOU THAT IN CONFIDENCE,” Korra yelled, her cheeks turning a light crimson.

She couldn’t help but smile. “Speaking of which, where are the boys?”

“My mom dropped them off earlier. I was ‘taking too long’,” Korra mocks with finger quotes.

“Well let’s go find them and eat some chex mix and drink so kinda flat soda,” Asami said as she led Korra into the dance hall.

“Anyone one you want to dance with?” Korra nudged Asami knowingly.

Asami shrugged. “Not really. The boys here aren’t really all that impressive.”

“What about Mako?” Korra asked.

“Even if I did like him, which I don’t,” Asami started, “you’ve been crushing on him ever since the two of you helped your dad put the pond in the backyard last summer.”

“Water feature,” she corrected.

“Oh whatever. My point is that as your best friend, I’m legally bound to not dance with Mako or like him in anyway.”

Korra smiled at Asami. “Can you believe it? We’re almost done with eighth grade! And then we all go to high school together and have awesome adventures together!”

“Yeah, all together.” Asami’s sour smile was less than enthusiastic.

“What is it?” Korra asked, instantly noticing her best friend’s lack of exuberance.

“Nothing,” she responded, shaking off the feeling and putting on a smile for her friend. “Let’s go inside.”

Inside the school hall, the tables had been covered with cheap plastic table cloths, there were parents pouring soda and handing out bowls of chex mix and M&M’s and other snacks. There was a small dance floor with the lights off and the appropriate amount of colored dance lights skating across the space.

The girls were occupying one side of the dance floor, and the boys the other side. There was a fifteen foot separation between them.

Asami and Korra did as tradition seemingly dictated and joined the girls on the girl side of the dance floor.

There they talked, met up with the other girls in the class.

Korra spotted Mako and Bolin on the far side and gave them a gentle wave.

The DJ had been playing some music and all of a sudden Asami grabbed hold of Korra’s arm and said, “I love this song! Let’s dance!”

The girls were the first ones on the dance floor.

“Give it up for the first people on the dance floor,” the DJ said as the song started.

“What are we doing?” Korra asked as Asami held on to her hands.

“Um, I don’t know, dancing?” Korra’s hands were still in her own. Two fourteen year old girls, holding hands, dancing to some stupid pop song. Why on Earth could that possibly feel so awkward? This wasn’t awkward, who said it was awkward?

Asami was just dancing with her best friend. Her best friend of over two years. Her best friend who spent at least a weekend at her place every month, leave her stuff all over her room and read her Adams before they went to sleep. Snuggled in her bed. Her totally bestest of best friends.

This wasn’t weird, not at all.

This weird kinda fuzzy feeling in her chest was nostalgia or the fear that she was never going to see Korra falling asleep in class again. The fear of never again seeing her stuff her face with cheese fries and grinning at her, trying to mumble a ‘look Sami’ with her mouth full. Asami was afraid she’d never again get the chance to catch Korra cheating in class and then laugh her ass off during break as Korra struts around the hallway with pockets full of cheat sheets. Study sessions never were her thing to begin with.

Her thoughts threaten to consume her and she almost forgets that they’re in the middle of the dance floor but the feeling of Korra’s reassuring arms sliding their way around her waist and pulling her in a tight embrace remind her of just how well Korra can read her, and that, well - the world won’t stop if she does in fact go to a different school. Which she’ll try her best not to.

Korra smiled at Asami, “How are you?”

“I’m fine,” Asami said.

She moved away from Korra and was sort of relieved to see that there were other people on the dance floor and their moment went completely unnoticed.

“Well if we’re gonna dance, we should do it properly!” Korra shouted, trying to be louder than the music, and reached out, grabbed Asami’s hand and pulled her in, only to, a little roughly, push her back away and spin her.

“You go Korra!” Came a shout from Bolin somewhere across the hall.

Korra kept laughing and trying to spin Asami as much as possible, thoroughly enjoying Asami’s squeals and occasional yelps.

“Korra! I’m gonna break my le- AH!” Asami squealed once again as Korra pulled her in, slid her arms around her and dipped her low with a loud, boisterous laugh.

Korra bowed to Asami and said, “Thank you for the dance, m’lady.”

“Charmed,” she responded.

“Well that made me hungry, and I see some snacks that require me to eat them,” Korra declared.

“Korra! Save some for me!” Bolin shouted as he pushed through the crowd after her.

“What are we going to do with them?” Mako asked as he walked up behind Asami.

“Hope they always have some food lying around?”

Mako chuckled.

“I hope you can look after them by yourself,” Asami said.

“What?”

“Nothing, nothing,” she muttered, trying to forget it.

“Asami…”

“My dad wants me to go to a fancy private high school,” she admitted, crossing her arms, “Upstate.”

“Jeez,” Mako sighed. “What’d Korra say?”

“She’s… Frustrated.”

Mako frowns, rubbing the back of his neck. “You two are so close, and we all are, I really hope you don’t have to go.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Let’s go get some snacks,” Mako said. “Before the two of them eat all of it.”

The rest of the night wasn’t nearly as sad. The gang got together and danced and laughed and ate.

Eventually the dj played a couple of slow songs in some masochistic attempt to get awkward fourteen year olds to dance together. It worked, just barely. Asami, however, didn’t really feel like dancing so she brushed off a couple of offers, possibly breaking a few preteen boys’ hearts in the process.

By the end of the first song it was just Asami, Korra, and a couple of kids who weren’t really anyone’s choice of a dance partner.

When the second slow song started, Asami basically had to shove Mako into dancing with Korra. The awkwardness that ensued amused her for a moment but that weird, strange feeling was somehow back in her stomach.

He put his hands on Korra’s hips, those same hands that helped Korra dig the pond in her backyard, that showed her how to play baseball last year. Not that she needed a lot of showing, she’s a natural in any sport, really. She put her arms around his neck, and together they swayed to the music, or at least tried to, but it ended being that awkward talentless grade school sway that was really hard on the knees.

“Thanks for dancing with me,” Korra whispered. They were close enough that she needn’t speak very loud.

“You looked like you could use a dance,” Mako murmurs, trying hard to sound as suave as possible.

“Well it helps that I’m dancing with the best looking guy here,” Korra muttered. “Even if he is shorter than me. And I only date guys who are taller than me.” She congratulated herself mentally for saying the words without stuttering and grinned as Mako’s grip around her waist tightened.

“Not for much longer. I’ve already grown an inch in the last couple of months.” He murmured triumphantly, “And since when do you date?”

“I’ll let you know when a taller guy asks me out,” Korra said as the song ended.

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind,” Mako said.

The DJ cut off any further conversation, his mildly annoying voice cutting in, “Can we have all the eighth graders in the middle of the dance floor?”

Korra waved Asami over who stood next to her on her right and Mako and Bolin on her left. That’s when they heard it - Korra could swear shivers spiked through all their spines at the same exact moment - the first beat of the song.

That Vitamin C song. The song that three of the four of them voted against (Bolin said that he did but they all knew he didn’t).

All of the eighth graders started swaying together as they put their arms around each other and sung along to the stupid, repetitive song.

Asami, most of all, hated it. She thought it was cheesy, poorly produced, poorly sung - all in all, lame. She told herself that she wasn’t going to cry, but goddamn it the song was getting to her.

Korra, the girl right next to her, really was her friend forever. They’d been friends ever since Korra moved over and for those couple of years, they’d become thick as thieves. And she wouldn’t see her again. Except for the occasional weekend, when Asami comes back home to visit her dad. Korra would go to the local high school, a good school with a good soccer coach. She’d meet new people and get a new best friend.

Asami would be left behind, she’d be out of everyone’s but most importantly, out of Korra’s life, replaced by someone shiny and new.

This damn song was bringing tears to her eyes, this stupid, cheesy song.

Korra noticed the tears in Asami’s eyes, her shoulders were shaking and barely a minute into the song she was crying, and she ran out of the circle and the school hall.

“What the-” Mako started but Korra was already gone, chasing after her best friend, running as fast as her feet would carry her (or better said, as fast as her horribly tight dress would allow it.)

“Asami!” Korra called when she caught up with her friend who was outside crying on the curb.

“Just leave me alone,” she said.

“No. You’re my best friend, I’m not leaving you alone outside.”

“But I’m going to leave you!” Asami shouted. “My dad’s sending me to that school upstate, it’s the best high school in the country. I’ll maybe only be able to visit once a month. You’ll move on, get a new best friend.”

Korra sat down next to Asami, her voice barely louder than a whisper, “Do you think I can get into this fancy ass prep school of yours?”

Asami shook her head. “It costs ten grand a year.”

“Jesus Christ!”

“Yeah…”

“You know, sometimes I forget how insanely rich you are,” Korra said. “So if you can’t convince your dad to let you go to school down here, I’ll just have to come visit you. First weekend of every month. Either I go up to you or you come down to me. And we’ll be penpals or email pals or whatever. And don’t you ever think for a second that anyone could possibly replace you. You’re Asami Sato, my best friend, nobody’s gonna change that and if you think otherwise, you’re dead wrong.”

Asami sniffed and offered Korra a sad smile.

“I don’t want to graduate.”

“Hey at least we have the summer. And vacations. We’ll still hang out all the time. And we’ve got like four months before school starts. We’ll just have to fit as much friendship into it as possible.”

“Ok.”

“Cause Asami Sato, you’re my best friend forever. For-ever. For… ev… er.”

And finally Korra got a laugh with her Sandlot quote.

“You want to go back inside?”

Asami shook her head. “I’m having more fun with you out here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, we've reached the end of middle school so we don't have to write children anymore (which I can't speak for Kitty) but was a struggle for me. So now that that's done we enter angst school. I mean high angst. I mean angst. HIGH SCHOOL! Man that was hard...


	5. New Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're here, we're finally here! High-school, yo! Shenanigans ensue as we follow Asami's first day of high-school.

Asami peeked around the corner and braced herself for impact. She stepped away from her locker and looked across the hallway towards the classroom on the far end. The force of the impact was a lot to bear - there she was, in the centre of the high school universe, the school hallways during break time. The damned space felt like a promenade of loud, obnoxious and boisterous adolescents with their prying eyes and repugnant mouths.

All that crowd around her and all she felt was the suffocating force pushing against her chest - in a sea of people, Asami was all alone.

She scurried past a few boys, painfully aware of the way their eyes seemed to follow her as she trudged her way along the hallway. Before she could even process it all, most of the them- and mind you, there were a lot - seemed to turn as she passed them by. She clutched her notebooks and pencil case hard in her hands and shifted her gaze to the floor, trying to avoid the curious onlookers. Why everyone seemed to be staring was beyond her.

Half way through the hallway she felt a hand on her shoulder and almost manouvered herself around to grab it and pull whoever it was over her head and slam them against the ground. The self defense classes were paying off, it seemed, but she had enough right mind to simply stop in her spot and tilt her head, scanning the hand and then following the curve of the boy’s - it was a boy’s hand - arm and meeting his light brown eyes.

“Hey, I’m Jake, you’re really cut-”

“No thanks.” Asami murmured and continued along the hallway only to be stopped in her tracks once more by, what could only be, the same hand. Only now wrapped tightly around her wrist.

“You didn’t even listen to what I had to say!” The boy croaked, squeezing her wrist uncomfortably.

She tried to jerk her hand away but his grip was too strong so Asami glanced back over her shoulder at him and tried to force a smile.

“Sorry, I’m in a hurry.” She tried to tear away from his grasp again but he was relentless.

“Come on…” The boy stopped, waiting for her to fill in the silence with her name but she simply eyed him with a bleary gaze so he continued, “I’m hot, you’re cute, we should go on a date!”

“I’m not interested.” She all but growled, yanked her arm away and brought it back to her chest, squeezing her notebooks and hurrying towards the classroom with her eyes downcast. As she finally reached it, she slipped in as inconspicuously as possible. She finally raised her head and glanced around the classroom and almost squealed with joy as she noticed a fairly familiar sight.

Fairly long, messy brown hair splayed down strong, muscled shoulders, familiar robust back visible even through the thick layer of clothes. The girl wasn’t facing her, she was sitting with her back turned towards the entrance and talking to a boy sitting behind her, leaning against the back of the chair with her left side and her muscled, mocha-coloured right arm with the sleeve pulled to her elbow splayed over the table.

How does she do it? Asami thought to herself as she stared at the girl, How does she manage to make friends in the very first class?

She realized she was staring and finally moved after a good minute of taking in the sight of the girl’s well sculpted, muscular form and her lips pulled in a smile as she spotted the empty spot just right of the girl.

She dropped her notebooks on the table, squeezed in behind the desk and opened her mouth to speak just as the girl turned around, now facing her.

“Hey Korr-”

The sight in front of her suddenly seemed to flare up gazillion alarms inside Asami and her heart did a 360°, skipping a beat or seven, as she slapped her hand over her mouth, her cheeks burning a deep crimson as the girl smiled at her and voiced a gentle ‘hello.’

After a few more seconds of awkward silence, the girl spoke again.

“Hi? Earth to…”

“As-Asami.”

The girl smiled widely and extended her hand.

“Hi Asami, I’m Rox.”

“Hey.” Asami managed to mumble out and offered a sheepish smile as the girl pulled away and turned back around, facing her friend.

If things could have gone any more awkward, Asami would have burst into flames are realized she didn’t have pants on. ‘Cause this girl… She looked way too much like Korra. Spoke too much like her. She even smiled a toothy smile just like her. Asami be damned if this would end well.

She shifted in her seat and turned her attention to the blackboard as other kids began walking in and taking their seats, soon followed by the teacher. She introduced the class to their coursework for the year, Asami’s scribbled everything she thought would be useful and her first class, maths, was over before it even began.

The second the bell rang, Asami packed up her things and ran out of the class, unable to bear the awkwardness of being near the girl that was very distinctly not Korra.

God, it had barely been a day, not even it had been like 2 hours, and she was already missing her best friend. That dull ache in her chest of missing her best friend. In grade school they had every class together. They ate lunch together. Not any more.

Asami muddled through her first classes, diligently taking notes. It was part of the deal she made with her father. She had to be the best, to get straight A’s, be valedictorian of the class, be perfect. Why did she agree to all of this? She was already exhausted, and it was barely halfway through the first day.

Korra was the answer. She did it so she could see Korra, even if it wasn’t nearly as much as she’d like.

 

* * *

 

Asami entered the lunch room she felt so alone again. No Mako. No Bolin. No Korra. God she missed the ease of knowledge that she had Korra saving her a seat when lunch rolled around.

She was about to turn around and leave the cafeteria to eat in the library when she heard someone call out, “Hey! Freshman!”

Asami turned even though she knew it wasn’t for her.

But it was.

That girl from geometry, the one that was very distinctly not Korra (what was her name again?) was looking at her, waving her over.

Asami walked over timidly and the girl pushed out an open seat with her foot.

“Take a seat,” she said.

“Thanks,” Asami muttered. “Sorry about earlier.”

“Yeah, I was going to ask you about that, but you bolted,” the girl said pointing a french fry at her. “What was that all about?”

“Oh, you just look like my best friend,” Asami answered. “I haven’t seen her at all recently and the part of my brain that knew you weren’t her just kinda shut off for a second.”

“Aww Fish, are you lonely on your first day?”

“Fish?”

“You’re the new fish in a big pond,” the girl smiled. It was a little off putting, seeing something that sounded so sweet but coming off so sinister in a strange mirror of Korra.

“Oh lay off Rox,” said the blonde girl sitting next to her.

“Well I’ll say this for you, Fish, you certainly have good taste in best friends if she looks like me,” Roxana smiled.

“Jesus Rox, you big lesbian!” her blonde friend hit her.

Asami offered a shy smile, but didn’t say anything. There was this weird, dark feeling in her stomach.

The older girls bickered and made jokes and Asami quietly nibbled at her lunch unsure if she was allowed to stay or if she’d overstayed her welcome.

Finally Rox turned back to Asami. “So what is a new fish like you doing in sophomore math?”

Asami shrugged. “I like math. I tested out of algebra.”

“So you’re a smartypants. And pretty too. How about the trifecta? You play any sports?”

“I used to play volleyball,” she muttered. It was something she promised her father to give up.

“I see,” Rox said with a studious gaze at Asami. She opened her mouth to say something but the bell rang ending lunch. The girl stood up and said to Asami, “Well if you haven’t found anyone to sit with tomorrow, you’re welcome back here.”

Then she winked. Did she just wink?

Asami threw out her trash and went to her locker to continue with the rest of her day. The sooner it was over the sooner she could talk to Korra about all the weird stuff that happened to her.

 

* * *

 

As if heavens had decided to answer her prayers, the next two classes flew by almost in a jiffy. Before she knew it, Asami was making her way to the last classroom of the day, ready for what would probably be the most boring class of all but it was the last and she couldn’t have been more ecstatic. She’s never been this ecstatic over history, that much is certain.

The second she stepped foot in the classroom she felt her stomach lurch at the sight in front of her. If she was ecstatic by now, she had no words for what she felt the moment she finally spotted a familiar face in the far corner of the classroom.

This time she was certain her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her, she’d know that toothy grin if you woke her up at 2am and pointed her towards it.

Korra was waving her hand above her head frantically, trying to catch Asami’s attention unaware of the fact that Asami was in fact, staring basically through her, lost in her thoughts. She finally snapped out of her trance when she heard her name shouted in a familiar voice.

“SAAAAAAMIIIII!”

She hurried past a few people that stood by their tables and almost knocked someone over as she all but threw her notebooks on the desk next to Korra’s and rushed to sit on the chair behind it. Korra beamed a wide smile at her and she smiled back, her heart pounding in her chest.

“Hey Kor.”

“Whoooa, Sams, hold the enthusiasm girl!”

“Oh shut it,” Asami playfully swatted Korra’s arm before pulling her in a tight, warm embrace, “I missed yo-”

“I missed yo-”

Asami pulled back, staring into Korra’s eyes for the briefest of moments before they both fell into a fit of laughter and she was jerked back into Korra’s strong embrace. She leaned into her, trying to stifle the laughter, tucking herself into Korra’s strong form.

Korra was the first to pull back.

“So, what’ve you been up to all day?” Korra quipped.

“Oh, you know, the usual, getting lost, hit on, eating with strangers, boring classes, blabla. You?”

“So was he cute?” Korra’s eyes widened with a glint.

“What?”

“The guy that hit on you, was he cute?”

“What, no Korra, god, you’re such a turd!”

“Good, but if he tries anything again you point him out and I’m gonna do the thing.” She huffed out, puffing her chest, her hands on her hips.

Asami couldn’t stop herself from laughing again because Korra was, as usual, too adorable. Their attention was suddenly pulled towards the blackboard, someone was clearing their throat and the whole class quieted down when the teacher begins their introduction.

Asami glanced over at Korra a few times, catching her gaze once or twice and smiling back when Korra smiled at her, and pulled out her pencil, the frantic scribbling ensued once more as she focused on the class.

It felt good not being alone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ello, Kitty here! Ok so we've finally reached the stage where we don't have to die while writing kids (I salute all the writers who manage it but it was so hard for me) and we can finally turn on our angst engines and hit the gas. Good luck ;)
> 
> Edit: Bourbon now: for any new readers coming through, I realize that we didn't make it really clear in the chapter proper but Asami made a deal with Hiroshi to basically be the best student ever if she goes to the local high school with Korra and friends.


	6. Competition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> High-school's gonna be awesome...

Korra couldn’t believe it. After all of that work that Asami did to convince her dad to let her go to school with her friends, the two of them only shared one measly, lame class. They couldn’t even have lunch together.

Her classes were mostly pretty boring, the teachers were talking about what they expected out of each student. The two bright spots were that Korra had English with Mako (who would likely be nothing more than a familiar face as she couldn’t imagine him being terribly talkative during class), and lunch with Bolin in the middle of the day, a bit of sunshine on what was mostly rainy days.

But for the first time in her entire life, Korra was excited for a class. History class at the end of the day, her last class, and she couldn’t be more ecstatic. And it wasn’t even ‘cause it was the last class. No, it was because it was the only class she had all day with her best friend. Asami was there.

Korra was one of the first kids in the classroom so she picked out a seat and sat down, eyes fixed eagerly on the door.

After getting excited a couple of times and waving at a few random  students that were not Asami, while being subsequently disappointed, Korra finally saw a pair of familiar green eyes as her best friend walked into the classroom.

Instantly her hand shot above her head and she started waving it frantically to catch Asami’s attention which was focused at her without really looking like she was seeing her. How did such a pretty fourteen year old girl have such a thousand yard stare?

“SAAAAAAAMIIIIII!”

The girl basically threw people aside as she rushed over to Korra and claimed the seat next to her.

“Hey Kor.”

“Whooooa, Sams, hold the enthusiasm girl!”

“Oh shut it,” Asami said as she smacked Korra on the arm before pulling her into a hug.

Asami gave the best hugs. Maybe it was how tightly she held on, or maybe it was because of how nice Asami smelled all of the time, something Korra has tried to achieve multiple times but just ended up getting frustrated. Or maybe it was just because they were the best of friends and the contact was always nice and calming.

“I missed you,” they both said at the same time, the words leaving their mouths almost in unison.

Asami pulled out of the hug, and looked Korra in the eyes as they fell into a fit of laughter. There was a look, a… glimmer of something… in Asami’s bright green eyes that made Korra pull her back into another quick hug.

“So, what’ve you been up to all day?” Korra quipped as they took their seats and settled in.

“Oh, you know, the usual, getting lost, hit on, eating with strangers, boring classes, blabla. You?”

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Someone was hitting on Asami? Her Asami? Did she need to punch a fool?

“So was he cute?” she asked her friend.

“What?”

“The guy that hit on you, was he cute?

“What? No Korra, god, you’re such a turd!”

Oh thank god. “Good, but if he tries anything again you point him out and I’m gonna do the thing,” Korra huffed out, puffing her chest, hands on her hips. No one messes with her best friend, cute boy or no.

Asami just laughed as the teacher called the class to attention.

Every now and again Korra found herself zoning out in the general area that Asami was sitting and they’d occasionally meet eyes and grin at each other, as if despite being in history class in high school at the end of the day, there was no where else they’d rather be.

The second that the last bell rang, Asami and Korra both stood up.

“Ok, so we stop by my locker first,” Asami said, smiling brightly at her, “then we go to yours, say hi to the boys, and then you go to practice?”

“Sounds good!” Korra said. They walked the hallways together as they talked about their days. “You meet any new friends? Anyone I have to assert my dominance over as Asami Sato’s best friend?”

Asami laughed, “No. You’re fine. Although there was this girl in my first class, and lunch, that looks creepily like you. In fact I might have started talking to her like she was you…”

“Oh my god, no way!” Why, god, why?

“Yeah way. It was the most embarrassing moment of my life.”

“Well now I really am going to have to fight her,” Korra said as she flexed her arm muscles. “There can only be one!”

Asami rolled her eyes as she grabbed books from her locker and put them in her backpack after double checking them with her planner about what work she had to do.

“It’s the first day,” Korra whined, “how do you already have homework? The teachers just read off syllabuses… syllabi? Whatever. Sophomore year is going to suck if we have to read all of that.”

The now taller girl had shoved almost every textbook into her backpack. “Korra,” she sighed, dropping her voice, partially out of shame, partially out of a desire to keep the arrangement just her and Korra’s secret. She hadn’t even told Mako or Bolin. “You know the deal I made with my dad. I have to be the absolute best student in this school. If he thinks I’m slipping he’ll ship me off upstate.”

“Well if you ever need help studying…” Korra offered but when Asami gave her the patented Asami Sato’s ‘Really Korra?’ look she recanted, “or motivation to help you study? I can probably borrow some pompoms and cheer you on or something.” Korra threw her arms in the air and tried mimicking a cheer-leading gesture.

Asami snorted. “Thanks Kor. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Korra just gave her that adorable joking smile that Asami loved. “Alright let’s go find the boys. I think Bolin said his locker was down this way.”

The girls walked and talked about their day and before long they found the boys standing in front of Bolin’s locker, which despite it being the first day, was already a complete mess.

“Hey guys,” Asami said.

“Asami, Korra,” Mako said, all business like, scanning them both but his eyes settling on Korra’s.

“Mako,” Korra smiled. “Hey Bo.”

“How was your first day?” Bolin asked with a lopsided grin.

“Pretty ok,” Mako muttered, never taking his eyes off Korra.

“Embarrassing,” Asami said.

“Lame,” added Korra at the same time as everyone else was speaking.

They all had a chuckle for a second before trading stories about their collective first days.

Bolin had a cute girl in every single class, whereas both Mako and Korra lied (to themselves just as much to the others) about seeing no one attractive at all while mostly eyeing one another when the other wasn’t looking, and Asami just retold her story about her meeting with Rox.

“Ok boys,” Korra said looking at the time. “I’ve got to go to soccer tryouts. I’ll see you back at the house.”

“Good luck!” Bolin said with a massive hug.

Mako nodded awkwardly and muttered something about Korra doing great.

After a quick stop in the bathroom for Korra to quickly change, the pair of girls walked out the soccer field behind the school.

Asami gave Korra a quick hug before moving to the stands, “I believe in you! You’ll do awesome.”

She had barely sat down and Korra was barely five feet away when Rox suddenly walked by, “Hey Fish, funny seeing you here.”

“Hello,” Asami responded timidly.

“Fish?” Korra asked with a confused expression, eyes roaming the stranger’s features..

“Is this your best friend that looks so much like me?” Rox asked as she sized up Korra. She walked right up into the younger girl’s personal space. The sophomore stood a little taller than Korra, her hair was much shorter and darker, and Rox’s eyes were much darker. Korra’s eyes looked like pristine ocean, possibly somewhere in the Caribbean. Rox’s, however, were darker, deeper, like what Asami assumed an ocean cave would look like.

Korra stared back, unwilling, or unable to back down.

“Eh, I don’t see it. She’s not cute enough,” Rox said as she pushed passed Korra.

“Oooh,” Korra breathed out heavily. “I’m going to destroy her.”

“Relax,” Asami said, “from the two periods I spent with her that’s just who she is. Prickly and a bit aggressive, but she’s just teasing.”

Korra turned back to Asami and for some reason had that same worried expression she wore when Asami mentioned the possibility of her going to another school. “Just promise me you won’t replace me with her as your best friend?”

“Kor... ,” Asami said as she placed a hand on Korra’s shoulder. “You’re my one and only best friend. Promise. But…”

“But?” she asked, her eyebrows turned up with concern. Ever since Asami told her about the deal she made to ensure she was enrolled in the same school, Korra had this sneaking fear that it was all likely to fall apart at any second. That somehow at a moment’s notice Asami would be whisked away and she’d never see the only girl she’d ever really been friends with. Or maybe now that they were out of high school and no longer kids (they were teenagers now after all) Korra feared being outgrown by the girl who was no distinctly taller than her.

“I can’t promise I won’t make new friends or something,” Asami said, she wasn’t entirely sure what she meant by “something” but it felt right to say. “I’m assuming we’re both going to date people at some point. But I promise that you’ll always be my first call when something weird or funny happens or the first person I tell when I like a… boy. You know. You’re my best friend. I promise.”

Korra wanted to say something else, something to Asami, to try and reassure her that she’d always be there for her, but the words didn’t come. Any words that would have been said were cut off by the coach’s whistle signaling the start of tryouts.

“I should go,” Korra mumbled and rubbed the back of her neck.

“Good luck!” Asami called after her. “I’m rooting for you!”

“It’s tryouts! There’s no one to compete against!”

“So?” Asami yelled back. “I’m still rooting for you!”

Korra just flashed her a quick, sheepish smile before running to the middle of the field where everyone gathered. She found herself standing next to the girl Asami confused her with earlier and almost let a groan escape her at the awkward proximity.

The coach explained how it was going to go, a series of warm-ups and then skill based drills to see what the girls were made of.

And of course Korra had to push herself to the limit every single time. But right behind her, every time was that damn knock-off version of her, not breaking a sweat and seemingly smug that she was just ever so slightly behind the now winded Korra.

When the captain split the team in half and had them play a practice game to see where she thought girls would work in certain roles, Korra found herself as a striker playing against Rox, the knock off, older version of herself. And she was gonna get her ass kicked, Korra decided.

The first time Rox faked her out, Korra got pissed and played harder.

The second time it happened, Korra cried out and tried to keep up but she was too tired.

The third time, she forced her aching muscles into action.

The fourth, fifth, and sixth times Rox beat her on the field, Korra couldn’t keep up. She was too exhausted.

When the coach called practice a tired and sweaty Rox, with her short hair plastered to her face smiled at Korra and said, “Better luck next time small fry.”

Korra was fuming, steam could easily have been coming out of her ears. However, she was much too winded to come up with a witty and fast enough response.

Instead she just focused on deep breaths, to get the air back into her lungs as she collected her gear watching the taller, faster, better, older version of herself chat quietly with Asami feeling some deep seeded mysterious emotion that felt like a combination of hate and loneliness creep into her gut along with the cold sweat dripping down her spine.

This was the worst day ever, and it still wasn’t over

“Well this was fun,” Korra heard Rox say as she got within hearing range. Whatever came next made Korra’s stomach drop despite not being able to hear it, because she could see Asami’s genuine laughter. “I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”

The older girl departed as Korra got close.

Asami looked up to see her best friend coming up to her, in her shirt soaked with sweat and her hair plastered to her head.

“Here,” Asami said with a soft smile at Korra’s deep frown, “have some water.”

“Thanks,” Korra mumbled as she took the bottle and drank as much of it as she could, some of the liquid spilling down her throat.

“I got you a cookie. It’s not warm anymore but it should still be good.”

“Thanks,” Korra mumbled again. “What would I do without you?”

Asami shrugged as she put her books together, “I don’t know. You’d probably live a dull existence.”

“So what were you and the imposter me talking about?”

Asami, for some reason, turned her gaze away from Korra as she mumbled. “Nothing. Just classes and what teachers I’ve got and advice and stuff.”

“Oh,” Korra sighed. She could already feel the friendship slipping and the inevitable hurt she’ll most certainly feel.

“Come on, we’ll drop you off at your house,” Asami said as she pulled Korra into an awkward side hug as they walked towards the front of the school. Asami always gave the best hugs but right now, this was one of the worst hug Korra had ever received.

* * *

“Tonraq! Senna!” welcome the rotund man said as he greeted his daughter’s best friend’s parents.

“Hiroshi, good to see you again,” Tonraq said as they shook hands.

“I feel like it’s been awhile,” Senna said as she gave the man a hug.

“Yes, you’ve been hosting my daughter more often than I’ve hosted you and yours,” Hiroshi said with a smile.

“It just seems easier when we are housing three of the four,” Tonraq said.

“Funny enough that is what I was hoping to discuss with the both of you,” Hiroshi said quietly, politely.

But he was instantly interrupted by Tonraq, “We won’t take your money Hiroshi. We can handle Korra and the boys just fine.”

Hiroshi held up his hands in mock surrender. “I’ve learned my lesson,” he responds with a chuckle as Senna gently smacks her husband’s massive shoulder while giving him the “Stop it right now” look.

The business man continued, “I’d like you to consider letting the boys move in with me.”

“What?” Tonraq asked.

“Our children, all four of them,” Hiroshi allowed himself another small chuckle that Senna shared, “are as thick as thieves. It has only been a week at high school but they’ve already spent about sixteen hours at my house. Korra has already taken three showers there.”

“We’ll tell her to stop,” Tonraq muttered quickly.

“No, no, you miss my point,” Hiroshi said. “I live closer to the school. I have plenty of space for the boys to live in. If you let Mako and Bolin move into my house, you’ll finally reclaim your basement after three years. And I won’t even mention the financial burdens placed on you both.”

“I think you just did,” the patriarch said before the matriarch could squash his comments.

“We’ll have to think it over,” Senna said with a hand on her husband’s arm to keep him calm. “And of course discuss it with the boys.”

“Of course, take as much time as you need,” Hiroshi told them. “Also think about the extra sleep you’ll get because you won’t have to transport three sleepy teenagers, just one.”

“Thank you Hiroshi, it is a very kind offer, but we’ll have to talk with the boys, and Korra,” Senna added. Surely making a decision like this without including her daughter would be a horrible decision.

Several hours later while Tonraq and Senna were laying in their bed, she was the first one to broach the subject, “I think if the boys are up to it, we should be all for them moving.”

“Are you mad at me for kind of adopting the boys?” Tonraq asked his wife.

“No, honey, I was never mad. I’m just thinking of how expensive it has been to keep them here, we don’t have enough space. And especially since all three of them are growing so fast, we don’t have enough food! I mean even Korra, who is turning out to be the shortest of them all has grown like a weed!”

“You’re right,” Tonraq sighed. “But I don’t want the boys to think that we are forcing them out.”

“No, no, never. We’ll have to let Hiroshi present them with the choice and allow them to make it.”

“Do you think they’ll take it.”

“I’m thinking that two high school boys will be all over the chance to have their own rooms.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”

“Tonraq, I love you, but have I ever been wrong? Ever?”

“No dear.”

 

* * *

 

At the same time as Tonraq and Senna were discussing what to do with the boys, Korra was spending the night at Asami’s.

She was flopped on the couch, unwilling and unable to move. All week she’d been pushing herself relentlessly at soccer practice, exhausting herself even beyond her limits. First it was to beat that smug ass, Rox. Then it was because the coach had put her on second string.

Second string!

She wouldn’t even be starting for the first game of the year!

And thhen there was the sinking feeling that she was already not doing well in her classes.

“So,” Asami said as she flopped on to the couch almost on top of Korra, cuddling awkwardly with the shorter girl, “how are things with you and Mako?”

Korra turned her head so that her face was down into the cushion where she muttered something indistinguishable.

“What was that?” Asami asked as she poked Korra’s cheek.

“There’s nothing to tell,” Korra said with an exasperated sigh as she turned to face Asami. “He’s gotten so much cuter and taller recently, but he lives in my basement. Like what are we supposed to do? Where are we supposed to go if we even started… dating or whatever,” she ended in a small voice.

“Yeah, that’s a pickle,” Asami said.

In that quiet moment between the two friends Korra instantly countered, “What about you? Any older boys in your classes that you think are cute?”

“Uhh…” Asami said as her brain suddenly short circuited. There was an answer, a word, or some combination of words, she knew there was, but they weren’t coming to her. For some reason the only person that popped into her head was Korra. No, not Korra, Rox. “No… No boys.”

“You had to think about that for way too long.”

“No there are no cute sophomore boys,” Asami said firmly. “If there are then they are hiding them very well.”

Korra fixed Asami with a look, a look that knew she was lying, but the girl’s best friend didn’t admit to anything, which was a first.

“Come on, let’s watch a movie,” Asami said as she moved off the couch, eager to move away from the topic.

With a week of high school officially over Asami realized that she worried too much. Classes were going to be good, she made a couple new friends, And like always she got to spend time with Korra. It was the best possible outcome. Korra, however, wasn't worried enough. Classes were boring and hard, she was second string on soccer, and Asami had a new friend in Korra 2.0. She was losing her best friend and everything sucked. And yet she knew, she just knew, that everything was going to get worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kitty here! Let's get this story rolling, shall we?


	7. High School Parties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Asami's birthday party, and much to Korra's dismay Rox is there.

For the fourth week in a row, Korra was staying late after practice on a Friday. She was drilling herself hard, harder than any of the other girls and harder than she’d ever had to. Most definitely harder than Rox.

But it still didn’t seem to be doing any good. She was still second string, her reflexes were still shit and she was slower than all of the other girls (mostly that was just in Korra’s head), but most importantly, she couldn’t even come close to Rox. She saw a grand total of seven minutes of playing time in the first game. That let fifty three minutes of sitting on the bench.

The entire time she had to sit on the bench, watching her friends cheer from the bleachers. Cheer for a team she didn’t even play on.

It certainly didn’t help that Mako and Bolin moved out three weeks ago. They went to live with Asami, since it was closer to school and bigger and  nicer and ugh it was just a whole lot better than her.

“Ugh!” Korra yelled in frustration.

“Hey Small Fry,” Rox called as the team disassembled from practice, “see you at Asami’s tonight? Don’t wear yourself out too much.” The smirk playing on Rox’s lips was a just begging to be punched off.

Korra let out a guttural cry of anguish at the thought of Rox being at Asami’s birthday party, and forced all of her anger and frustration into a single kick of the black and white checkered ball.

The soccer ball flew clear across the field and into the private field behind the school.

“Whoa, calm down Korra,” Rox said, the note of genuine concern in her voice forcing Korra into a further rage. “You’re liable to get stress fractures if you keep that up. And trust me, they hurt almost as much as it will to have to sit out every practice and game.”

“Shut up,” Korra muttered as she stomped off to go get the ball.

Rox watched Korra stalk off for a second, wondering if there was something she should have said, but instead she shrugged. She had to go home and shower and get changed.  She had a long night ahead of her.

By the time Korra got the ball and all of her stuff together, Asami and Rox had already parted ways, for which Korra was grateful. She didn’t want to have to deal with Rox any more than she had to, and it was going to be bad enough that she was going to be at the party, probably using every possible moment to talk to her best friend.

“Hard practice?” Asami asked for the umpteenth time. She was trying to get Korra to talk to her, but there had been a small distance growing between them, ever since the boys moved. No, if she was being honest, Korra started drifting ever since school started.

Korra just grumbled something and went on with her business, shuffling around and dragging her stuff along.

“Korra, c’mon, what’s wrong?” Asami asked, genuinely concerned for her best friend’s state, both physical and mental.

Korra grunted out a response and shuffled past her, almost hitting her with her shoulder as she did so.

“Korra, seriously, for like, the ninetieth time, what’s wrong?” Asami demanded as she grabbed Korra’s shoulder, forcing her to turn and look at her. Or, rather, look at her shoes. They barely looked at each other lately and it was starting to bother Asami quite a lot.

Korra ground her heel into the dirt and muttered, “I feel like I lost the kids in the divorce.”

Asami scoffed. “What?”

“Ever since Mako and Bolin moved in with you, and you started hanging out with Korra two point oh, I’ve felt redundant. Like you’ve broken up with me and you got all our friends plus some new ones and I’m left with something that I’m not even good at.”

Asami pulled her arms away and crossed them at her chest, staring at Korra’s hair, since the other girl didn’t even try meeting her gaze. “Are you serious?”

“No, Asami, I’m fucking joking. Of course I’m serious, it’s bugging me and you’re just too cheery and happy-go-lucky with Korra clone there and everyone’s having a great time and I just suck…”

“Damn it Korra,” Asami breathed. Korra started, she never heard Asami swear. Ever. “What do I have to do to get you to believe me when I tell you for the sixteen millionth time: you are my best friend ever. Do I have to get it tattooed on my forehead? Do I have to propose to you? What? Because I’m pretty sure I tell you all the time, but for whatever reason you don’t believe me, ever. And frankly I’m getting sick of repeating it to a wall all the time.”

“I’m feel like I’m being left out of what I thought would be my life!”

“God! Korra!” Asami yelled as she pulled the sweaty teenager in for a hug. “For the love of God. I know we haven’t hung out every weekend but you’ve been busy with soccer and stuff, and you know how crazy my life has gotten. But you are sleeping over with me this entire weekend. Hear me?”

Korra just nodded into the hug, relishing familiar comfort she’d been missing so much. “Ok. I’ve got to call my mom.”

Asami pulled out of the hug and looked Korra in the eye. She had a mischievous little smirk on her lips. “I already talked to Senna and she said it was fine.”

“Uh… I don’t have any clothes?”

“Like this would be the first time you ever borrowed some of my clothes.”

“Can I at least go home and shower?”

“Nope! You’re coming with me!” Asami loudly proclaimed as she lead Korra off the field and towards the waiting car. “And you know, Rox has offered to help you out with practice and stuff.”

Korra’s improving mood instantly soured again. “I don’t need her help.”

“What is with you two?” Asami demanded.

Korra bit her tongue and kept the comment of “you” to herself. “She’s like a better, bigger version of me. I can see why you want to be friends with her. Best friends with her.”

It was Asami’s turn to bite her tongue. She needed to give Korra time, as insufferable as it may have become to see her act like a spoiled eight-year-old. A lot has changed for her in the last month or so. Korra just needed to get to find her balance.

“Korra, do you honestly think I could possibly be best friends with a girl that’s taller than me?” she asked, adding a humorous note to the question, hoping to brighten up the whole atmosphere. How else could she describe what Rox was to her? They were friends, that much was clear. But there was this haze, this fuzzy feeling that obscured the view for Asami, like there was something else there which she couldn’t see, couldn’t really put her finger on. She didn’t know how else to describe it.

It was kind of like what she felt with Korra. Similar, but not the same. Or was it? It was so strange and unknown and nebulous. Well when it came to Rox. Because what was with them, what was between her and the girl that looked like Korra? She always knew what Korra was to her. Best friend. That was it, a simple phrase to encapsulate their relationship, their love of similar things, their compatibility, their shared secrets.

What does that feeling mean when applied to Rox?

Best friend was already taken. And she didn’t want to replace Korra, the mere thought made her sick.

So what does this mean for Roxana and her?

All of these thoughts weighed heavy on Asami’s mind as she tried to reassure Korra, to make promises she didn’t know she could keep.

“Tonight. Tomorrow. Sunday. You and me, we are going to hang out all weekend. We’re going to party tonight with some people, and then we’ll just hang out. It’ll be great,” Asami said. “Now we just need to get you back to my place, and get you into a shower. I don’t know how much longer I can hang out with you when you smell like this.”

The girls rode back to Asami’s house in relative silence.

“Thanks Arturo,” Korra said once they arrived at Asami’s large house. “I’m going to go shower real quick, that ok?”

Asami rolled her eyes. “You don’t even have to ask at this point. But I’ll get you a towel.”

Korra started to get changed, pulling off the long socks, and pulled off her jersey when Asami suddenly burst into the bathroom towel in hand.

“Oh sorry, I didn’t expect you to be half nak-” Asami said, her face flush.

“Don’t worry about it,” Korra said as she reached out for the towel, warm fingers brushing against cool ones. “I’ll see you and the boys in like fifteen minutes.”

“Ok,” Asami muttered as she quickly turned around and left, running a hand through her hair.

Korra showered, and when she finished and dried off, wrapped the towel around her chest, and found herself in Asami’s very large closet looking for something to wear.

“Hey,” Asami said from behind her, “You should totally wear this blue dress of mine. It would really go with your eyes.”

“Thanks,” Korra smiled. “But dresses aren’t really my thing.”

“Come on, just once?”

Korra rolled her eyes, staring at Asami with a slight smile. “For you, fine.”

 

* * *

 

Asami sure knew how to throw a party and by party, everyone obviously meant hey let’s bring all our cousins and friends and their cousins and friends and how about just half the city. Korra was sulking in a corner of the kitchen, eyes scanning across the area and of course, always landing on the same sight - Rox and Asami talking and laughing and being all best friends like and just doing something Korra and Asami were supposed to.

If the whole sight of them having the night of their lives wasn’t enough, Bolin somehow managed to sneak in some booze and was already lying passed out on the couch and Mako was scowling at him and angry and devoid of fun and just flat out grumpy. So much for having any sort of fun at the party.

Korra was glaring at the side of Rox’s head, trying to get it to catch on fire with her mind.

But Rox suddenly turned and their eyes met across the crowded party. She saw her staring.

Rox said something to Asami who nodded, and the older girl turned and walked away, straight towards Korra.

With a sudden sense of panic, Korra tried to move, to get out of Rox’s war path, because the expression on her face was not happy.

But the older girl was fast. She got up to Korra, grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her out into Asami’s backyard.

There were very few people out here but still Rox pulled Korra, who was trying desperately to get out of this situation, all the way to the back of the yard before stopping.

She turned and her hazel eyes burned as she said, “What the hell is your deal?”

Korra pulled her arm out of Rox’s grip and looked away.

“You’re hellbent on hating me, so I at least deserve to know why,” Rox practically yelled. “Is it because I’m better than you at soccer? Tough shit. I’m older than you, and I’ve been doing this longer than you.”

“It’s not just that…” Korra muttered.

“Because if you wanted to get better, really get better, I could help you, if you stopped acting like a spoiled child and asked.”

“You’re replacing me!” Korra interrupted. “You’re taking my spot as Asami’s best friend.”

Rox stopped, and just blinked for a second. This wasn’t what she expected. “Well, that’s not what I wanted. You’re the one distancing yourself from her! Even when we are hanging out, just the two of us, she brings you up a lot. If you could ever stand to be in the same space as me you’d see that.”

“So if you don’t want to be her friend, what are you doing?” Korra demanded angrily. She hated how this was all somehow her fault.

The other girl’s mouth hung open for a second as she tried to form words. There were things she could say, but how would that end for her?

“Uh…” Rox said lamely. “Uh…”

“Well?” Korra demanded.

“Uh… I like her?”

Korra sighed. “Yeah, she’s kinda likable isn’t she?”

“Uh… yeah?” Rox said, kind of feeling like Korra missed her point, but it was in that missing of the point that Rox’s fear of admitting it, again, came back in force.

“Sorry I’m such a bitch,” Korra sulked. “I could use some help with soccer. I want to start so badly.”

“It’s ok,” Rox said with a hand on Korra’s shoulder. “First thing you need to do: stop practicing so hard. Seriously, you’re going to get stress fractures and be physically unable to play. Trust me. Not worth it. I missed the entirety of the playoffs last year because I could barely walk. Take the entire weekend off. And don’t push yourself so hard at practice next week.”

“You sure?”

“You want my help or not?”

Korra took a deep breath and sighed, “Yeah…”

“Take the weekend off. Hang out with your best friend.”

“Anything else, coach?” Korra asked sarcastically.

“Yeah,” Rox said as she draped an arm across Korra’s shoulders while steering her back towards the party. “What do you think would be more fun to play: truth or dare, never have I ever, or seven minutes in heaven?”

“Does anyone actually play seven minutes in heaven?” Korra asked.

Rox shrugged, “I have no idea.”

“Let’s go with truth or dare.”

“My kinda girl!” Rox said excitedly.

Korra rolled her eyes.

Thankfully the party was winding down so it was mostly people Korra actually knew, and kinda liked.

Of course Mako was still there, watching over his passed out younger brother. A couple of kids from classes here and there.

“Everyone who is sticking around for a while,” Rox said loudly, “we’re playing truth or dare!”

Asami looked at Korra, who oddly enough was standing next to Rox. The best friends shared a look that encapsulated an entire conversation that went something like this:

“Korra, what’s happening?”

“Truth or dare! Could be fun, right?”

“This is a bad idea.”

“Asami, what’s the worst that can happen?”

“Someone could dare you to kiss Mako.”

“Oh god. This is going to be such a horrible idea. Asami save me!”

“Alright everyone get into the circle!” Rox demanded and everyone followed her lead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Truth or Dare! Feelings! Someone Makes Out With Someone Else! Someone Dies (not really)!


	8. The Truth and Can be Harder than the Dare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> High school kids play truth or dare! Multiple people see underwear! Multiple people get kissed!

Korra found herself sitting next to Asami and Rox, and right in front of a loud, snoring Bolin. Mako had just sat down awkwardly beside her, having decided to join the game as well, after a long fifteen minute pestering session from Asami.

Truth or dare, one of the most typical and probably lamest high-school games, but the most excruciating one nonetheless. There’s always that one person that can call you out on a lie if you actually decide on truth, but Korra was set on dares tonight. She was a strong, brave girl after all, she could take on pretty much anything.

“Ok, rules.” Rox piped in, eyeing everyone. “First of, whom of all you is actually playing?”

Asami raised a hand, Korra joined her, Mako shoved his brother and raised his hand along with a still really sleepy Bolin who tried to sit up but fails. As Mako helped him up another two people joined in, sitting beside them as they all formed a circle.

“Good, ok, now. The game only applies to us in the circle, so, if you wanna smooch someone outside it, well, I don’t know, go do it or something.” Rox’s voice was snarky and Korra made a mental remark not to act upon it.

It’s just the way the girl is, she reminded herself.

One of the people that just joined them left immediately and Asami huffed out a laugh, glancing at Korra as the guy mumbled something while getting up. Korra gave her a thumbs up and grinned widely.

“You can’t pick the same person no more than twice, otherwise it’s just stupid,” Rox turned to Asami for a moment before glancing around, “And nothing weird. We clear?”

Everyone offered either a nod or a ‘yes’ in return and Rox cleared her throat.

“Ok, I’ll ask first. Korra, truth or dare?”

Korra glanced around, considering for a moment but the decision wasn’t really that hard to make.

“Dare.”

Rox huffed out a laugh and Asami rubbed her palms, leaned over to Rox and whispered something in her ear which made the other girl grin widely.

“Hey, you’re not allowed to do that!” Korra whined and Mako nodded in agreement but Rox all but glared at the both of them and they quickly gave up on their arguments.

“No one said I can’t,” Asami giggled, bumping Rox’s shoulder, “So, yeah, we can all help out with the questions, ok?”

“Fine,” Korra grumbled as Bolin finally managed to sober up from his sleepy haze and sit up, glancing around and deciding this is a perfect spot and he would partake in the activities.

Everyone simultaneously laughed, even Mako chuckled and Korra bumped his shoulder before everyone’s attention was back on Rox.

“Korra, I dare you to slap Asami’s butt as hard as you can.” Rox finally ordered and Korra’s eyes widened for a moment.

She shifted her gaze to her best friend and the mischievous glint in her eyes said it all - it was her idea.

“Asami you…” Korra started but grumbled something to herself. “Turn around.” She ordered and almost grinned as Asami’s eyes widened.

Rox gave her a strange kind of stare and she’d think it over longer if it wasn’t for Asami and her stupid butt staring at her. She leaned over, cracking her knuckles and turned to Mako and Bolin with a wide grin pulled at her lips before turning back and slapping a hand over Asami’s butt.

The sound of skin meeting jeans echoed the room and almost all the eyes turned to see

where it was coming from, moments before half the room erupted into wild laughter, along with Korra, Rox and Bolin.

Asami settled back in her seat and glared at Korra who only shrugged, still chuckling.

“Asami,” Korra grinned, “Truth or dare?”

“Ugh, truth.” Asami mumbled, eyeing Korra.

Bolin shifted in his spot and Korra glanced over at him, trying to think of a question. “Oh.” She mumbled.

Asami’s glare must have been one of the most piercing things Korra had ever seen but she grinned widely nonetheless.

“Did you, or did you not, sing ‘Livin’ la vida loca’ in your undies last weekend and Bolin,” Korra turned to him with mischief in her eyes, “Saw you?”

Asami groaned loudly, hiding her face in her hands. “Korraaaaaaa,” She whined but Rox

bumped her shoulder with a snort.

“Answer her.”

Bolin was blushing furiously, even more so as Mako glared at him and smacked a hand over his head. “You what?!”

“It was an accident!” Bolin whined.

Mako crossed his arms and leaned ever so slightly back but jolted upright when Korra touched his arms, leaned in and mumbled something.

Meanwhile, Asami was squirming under Rox’s scrutinous stare, “Fiiiine, yeah, he saw me, ok? I like to sing in the shower and I got carried away, forgot someone might be home and well, ok fine he saw and heard me singing that stupid song, happy?” She glared at Rox before turning her attention back to Korra, her eyes shooting icy daggers at her best friend who simply laughed with a shrug.

“At least you weren’t off key?” Bolin added and earned himself another slap over the head from Mako.

“My turn, ok, Mako, truth or dare?” Asami eyed the boy cautiously.

“Uh, dare.”

“I dare you to tickle Rox.”

Mako’s eyes widened before he slumped back and grumbled a “aw hell no.”

Asami giggled and highfived Rox who’d already had her hand raised up.

“Oh, you guys,” Rox chided in, “Whenever someone passes on a dare like our little wuss here,” Mako flipped her off as she grinned, “The person who dared them has another go.”

Asami was grinning and highfived Rox once more as the two other people none of them really knew got up, grumbled something about it being an elitist game and shuffled their way out of the circle.

“Oookay, losers,” Rox mumbled after them. “Who needs people who won’t do the fun stuff anyways?

Asami cleared her throat and eyed her best friend for a few seconds before turning her attention to Rox.

“Rox, truth or dare?”

“Turning on me now, are you Sato?” Rox chuckled, “Fine, truth.”

“Have you ever tried pot?”

Korra snorted, “Aww come on, Asami, you can do better than that!”

“No takebacks!” Rox shouted, flailing her arms up in the air, “Yes, yes I have.”

Asami gasped slightly, staring at her.

“What, I was a year younger than you and hanging out with some weird people at the time and stuff happened…”

All of them glanced around, shifting in their spots awkwardly.

“Stop that you turds, it’s no big deal,” Rox chuckled, “My turn again.”

She eyed Korra and smirked.

“Korra, truth or dare?”

“Dare,” Korra shot without thinking.

Rox’s grin only grew wider.

“I dare you to…” She paused, for theatrical purposes, “Sit in Mako’s lap and wrap your arms tightly around his neck for at least 2 minutes.” Rox crossed her arms, a wide grin plastered across her lips.

Korra’s eyes widened, along with Mako’s, and her breath hitched in her throat as she tried to protest. She took in a deep breath, glanced at Asami who was only shrugging with a grin, turned her attention to Mako who’s eyes were probably as wide as hers and pushed herself off the floor, reluctantly, and moved closer to him.

As she moved her hands to Mako’s shoulder slowly, Korra steadies herself and let herself slide on his lap, steadily. She noticed the was his breathing had suddenly turned to insanely fast in a matter of seconds, matching her own, and tried to wraps her arms around his neck as inconspicuously as possible.

Korra’s heart skipped a beat, two, possibly even seventeen in the process of leaning into the boy well enough to wrap her arms tightly around his neck. She could feel his heart hammering against his chest but wasn’t really certain if it meant he was nervous or something else. She brushed the thoughts away, glanced over at Asami and Rox who were both shaking in laughter and growled the words.

“Enough for your dare?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Rox chuckled, “You can get off your boyfriend now.”

“He’s not my boyfriend!” Korra shouted, jumping off Mako’s lap and settling back down beside him. “We’re just friends.” She grumbled, noting Mako’s reluctant nod.

“Yeeeah, and I’m Saint Anthony,” Rox added, “Well that was fun, your turn now Korra.”

Korra glared at Rox as she slid off Mako to the spot next to him. “Rox. Truth or dare?”

Korra’s adversary grinned wickedly. “Dare.”

“I dare you to run around the house, outside, without pants on,” Korra demanded.

“Weak,” Rox said as stood up. “Why not tell me to do it in just my underwear?”

The few other people who were left decided now was a good time to go home. This game was getting too intense. And they didn’t want to make out with a stranger or run around naked.

The only players left were Rox, Asami, Mako, and Korra since Bolin had fallen back asleep.

“Alright,” Rox said as she unbuttoned her jeans, slid them off, then quickly pulled off her shirt.

The second Asami glanced to the side, eyes roaming over Rox’s form, she felt heat rush to her cheeks and… possibly somewhere else?

Asami was trying to look anywhere but at the girl, she really, honestly was, but Rox was sitting right next to her it and was very hard not to look. Especially with the way the girl’s body seemed to be just the right amount of oh my fucking god gorgeous. With a hint of fucking hell this is hot and a dash of fuck fuck fuck. But really, what the hell?

Rox was tall, she was strong, and she was wearing very little. Too little, if you asked Asami. Her abdomen wasn’t as chiselled as Korra’s - and Korra was the epitome of perfect abs - but it was lean, wiry and looked as if it’d feel like velvet under Asami’s fingers. No fat, no marred skin, just a perfect smooth stomach, perfect sun kissed skin begging to just be kissed skin.

Asami tried to look away, she really did. The horrible, fluttery feeling in her gut told her she should probably not look away for as long as Rox’s little dash around the house lasted. But there was a really horrible, annoying ringing in her head that mostly just screamed “LOOK THE FUCK AWAY YOU FREAK.”

Rox was a friend, her friend. Her female friend. This wasn’t how this worked. Was it? Why was she thinking these things? Why did she have these thoughts? Isn’t she supposed to be thinking this way about Mako or Bolin or some other boy? What is this feeling? What is… that is a very nice butt running around her house, in only a pair of colorful panties. Very nice indeed.

After what felt like several hours of watching Rox running around her house (don’t think about her slightly bouncing chest) the girl sat down next to Asami, slightly sweaty, breathing heavily, and grinning widely.

“Well that was fun,” Rox laughed as she pulled on her shirt, but still not having on pants. “So, Asami… truth or dare?”

Asami hesitated for a moment, rubbing her cheeks and trying to look at Rox without the image of her half naked running through her mind. She managed a silent ‘dare’ and turned away.

Rox was grinning evilly, but when Asami caught her eye for just a second and Rox saw her nervous, uneasy grin. The smile faded from her face and she said, “I dare you to draw a mustache on Bolin’s face.”

All of the dares that ran through Rox’s mind at that moment faded when she saw how uneasy Asami looked. She didn’t dare her to kiss her, or to join her without pants on, or to do a little strip tease. They were so many, but in that one second Rox felt bad, she couldn’t go through with it if Asami was so uncomfortable.

Asami grinned, as much from the fun dare as it was from relief that Rox wasn’t being too hard on her. Which was nice, and did that mean something? Why would she suddenly go easy on her? Was there something wrong? Did Asami do something wrong? Oh god she shouldn’t have stared so much.

She tried to force the thoughts away as she grabbed a sharpie and colored on Bolin’s face. She gave him a very fancy, curly mustache, and then for added fun a monocle.

“Nice, you’re a real artist Sato,” Rox laughed as Korra rolled around on the floor giggling madly.

“Mako,” Asami said, “truth or dare?”

“I’m almost afraid to pick,” he said. But a look from Korra made him sigh and say, “Dare.”

Rox leaned over and whispered something in Asami’s ear, who then laughed evilly.

“Oh no, is it too late to switch?”

“Yes,” Asami said. “I dare you to go commando for the rest of the night.”

Mako shrugged. “That’s not that bad. But I’m not doing it in front of everyone.”

“Aww,” Rox moaned sarcastically, of all the people in the room she’d like to see without pants on, Mako was the lowest on the list.

As Mako left the room Korra looked at Asami and said quietly, “What is wrong with you?”

“You’re welcome!” Asami muttered.

“You’re so dead!”

A few moments later Mako returned and threw a rolled up pair of boxers at Asami’s head, but she dove out of the way.

“You’re so gross!” she yelled.

“You asked for it,” Mako grinned. “Ok, who’s next? Korra! Truth or dare!”

“Like there’s even an option. Dare!”

Mako rubbed his chin in thought, “Ok, ok. Hmm… Do a handstand.”

“Laaame!” yelled Rox, but Korra stood up to do it before they could encourage him to dare her to do something even more embarrassing.

It only took a second for Korra to go upside down and stand on her hands, but her vision went suddenly blue and she heard Rox call, “Nice underwear!”

Her arms collapsed, and Korra fell to the ground, thoroughly embarrassed and now totally aware that she was wearing a dress.

Asami’s face was hot. She’d just seen Korra in her underwear, not something she hasn’t seen before, but with all that has been happening today, she’s in a state. And she really did like Korra’s legs. Which got her thinking about Rox’s legs and her butt and her stomach and oh no.

Jesus, what is happening in her head today?

“Asami,” Korra said her face a deep red. “Truth or dare?”

“Oh god, truth,” Asami said she didn’t know if she could handle any more dares. She’s seen everyone’s underwear at this party tonight. She didn’t fancy adding hers to the collection.

“Who was your first kiss?”

“I’ve… never been kissed,” Asami muttered, her face getting more and more red by the moment.

“Aww that’s sad,” said Rox.

“How about you, Miss High and Mighty, I’ve Done Pot Before,” Asami shot back with her hands on her hips. “Truth or dare?”

Rox looked at Asami for a second. Her hazel eyes studying green. “Truth.”

“Ooh, mixing it up. Let’s see what do I want to know about you?” Asami asked. “Let’s see… do you have a crush on anyone?”

“Oh most definitely.” She had to bite her cheek to keep from spouting, “You!”

“Oh my god who?” Asami demanded.

“Uh uh,” Rox wagged her finger at Asami. “That’s not the rules of the game. I get to ask now.”

Asami gave Rox her sad puppy dog eyes and pouty lips, but the girl was unswayed.

“Korra, truth or dare?”

Like she had an allergy to truths, Korra demanded another dare.

“I dare you to kiss Mako!”

Both Korra and the only awake boy at the party recoiled.

“No!”

Korra was desperately searching for an out. As much as she’d like to kiss Mako, she didn’t want to have her first kiss be in front of an audience or because they were forced to. “I’ll only do it if you two kiss!”

The blood, the color, everything, drained from Asami’s face. “Oh no no no no.”

Rox’s puckish grin faded.

“Well that was a fun game, but I think that’s over now,” Asami said as she stood up and walked quickly out of the room.

“Wait! Asami!” Rox called out after her as she followed her outside. “I’m sorry!”

“That was awkward,” Mako sighed.

“Sorry about that,” Korra muttered as she started wringing her hands. “I didn’t want to kiss you in front of an audience.”

“You… what?”

She felt her heart sink, fall out of her chest, as she realized what she said. “I… uh…”

“Does that mean you want to kiss me? You like me?”

“Uh…” Korra’s brain was struggling to come up with something to say. “Yes. I like you. I think you’re awesome and fun to be around and so cool and amazing. And I’d like to kiss you, maybe date you because I like you.”

When she was greeted with silence she turned to look at Mako for the first time.

Mako wore a little smile. “Oh good. Because I kinda like you too.”

“You ass!” Korra said as she leaned over and hit him. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t know if you felt the same way and I didn’t want to pressure you or make anything weird.”

“You’re a jerk, you know that?”

“So are you! Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I just did!”

“Oh yeah…”

“So now what?” Korra asked.

“I’d like to kiss you if that’s alright.”

She could only nod.

Mako leaned in and their lips met. His lips were softer than Korra imagined they’d be. It was even better than she imagined. Her chest and face felt warm, she felt bubbly inside, full of happiness and giddy joy.

This was actually happening.

Before they could get too far into their kiss a massive snore from Bolin interrupted them.

Both of them broke away as they laughed.

“I guess we still had an audience,” Mako said with a smile.

“Yeah I guess we did. At least it was a classy audience,” Korra remarked. “I mean look at his classy monocle.”

Mako laughed and then looked at Korra. “Does this… does this mean we’re dating?”

“Would you like to be dating?” she asked shyly.

“Yeah. I mean if you’d like to.”

“Of course I’d like to!”

Mako smiled warmly at Korra. “So we’re dating.”

“I feel like I have to go find Asami and tell her,” Korra said. “We’re kind of best friends and this is an important thing I have to tell her about.”

“I understand,” Mako replied. “I should probably put Bo in his bed. And put my boxers back on.”

“Oh right,” Korra said as that image just popped into her head. Her blush consumed her cheeks and neck once again. “Have fun with that.”

Mako just chuckled as he grabbed his sleeping brother from the floor, and Korra left the room to try and find her best friend.

As Korra and Mako were talking inside, outside Rox had caught up to Asami.

“Hey, I’m sorry about that,” Rox said.

Asami was facing away from her friend. “It’s fine. I know you didn’t mean it.”

“I don’t even really know what happened,” Rox admitted. “But should I go apologize to Korra?”

“She’s like Mako for a long time,” Asami answered. “So she was probably hoping to not do this in front of an audience.”

“I see,” Rox said. “Yeah, I’ll have to apologize for that. I just thought it would be funny because he’s the only guy that was left playing.”

“I get it. And I’m sorry for how I reacted when Korra said that we should kiss too.”

“Yeah, what was that about?”

“I don’t know.”

“Was it that you didn’t want your first kiss to be on a dare? Or that you didn’t want it to be with a girl? Or was it me?” Rox asked nervously. She was getting closer to admitting everything to the long haired girl before her.

“Yes? No?” Asami said, her tone made it sound like a question, like she wasn’t sure of herself or the reason or the answer.

“Asami?” Rox asked, trying to get the girl to turn and face her.

Finally Asami turned around to look at the older, taller girl before her. “Yeah?”

“Um… shit. Well, here it goes,” Rox muttered before taking a deep breath. “I like you. You’re funny, you’re cool, you’re so pretty, you’re nice and smart and everything. And I like you. Like you like you. I like girls. I’m gay. And if you want to I would make your first kiss amazing.”

“I.. uh…” Asami stuttered.

All of the thoughts she experienced could fill a small novel.

_Is this what this is? Do I have a crush on Rox? Do I have a crush on Korra? Do I have a crush on my best friend? Am I gay? Oh my God I can’t be gay, what will- Oh my… No, I … I’m normal, I’m not… But… Maybe just a kiss, just to check? Just to make sure I’m not gay. What would dad say? What would Korra say? What about boys?_

“Uh…” she forced out again. “Sure?”

In a moment, both of Rox’s dry hands were on Asami’s cheeks and she got pulled into the older girl.

Her lips felt like heaven. Soft and a little dry from all of the lip biting Roxana always did, just like Korra. She tasted a bit like soda and chocolate from the birthday cake. She smelled like sweat and grass.

For a second Asami forgot about time. She forgot where she was, who was in her house, what was going on around her. The only thing in her universe for that one second was Rox and her lips pressed against her own.

She was right. She did make her first kiss amazing.

“Asami!” came a voice from within the house. “Where’d you go?”

And the next moment the illusion was shattered like a porcelain tea cup.

She backed away from Rox and said, “I’m sorry. I.. I can’t. There’s… I can’t.”

The other girl dropped her hands and backed away. “I see.”

“Rox…” Asami tried to say, but she was already gone, passing Korra in the hallways as she left the Sato house.

Korra noticed the little stain of red on Rox’s lips as she went passed.

“Hey Asami,” Korra said as she approached her best friend. “What was that all about?”

“Nothing,” she answered instantly, wiping her mouth. “Nothing. Just… clearing up a misunderstanding.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Asami. High school is going to be so strange for her.


	9. Confusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First kisses were had. Now it's time to talk about it, or not talk about it.

"Good night."

"Good night."

Kissing sounds floated through the partially opened door.

"Good night."

Asami groaned. "Are you two done yet?"

She meant it to be sarcastic and understanding, but it sounded like she was coming across as bitter instead.

Maybe Asami was a little bitter. She could have been kissing Rox. Did she even want to kiss Rox? What was that feeling she had? Was it a crush? Was it a desire to be kissed by girls? Ugh there were too many thoughts on her mind. Least of was "what would Korra say?"

Asami never really felt afraid of Korra judging her. Her opinion was valuable to her and she was her best friend. But this... This was strange and unknown and not normal, right? And there was Korra just outside her bedroom door kissing her boyfriend.

Eventually Korra stepped back into the room, her cheeks flush and a shy smile tugging at her lips.

"Sorry," Korra muttered.

"You've been dating for like what? 20 minutes?" Asami asked.

Korra blushed even more and then rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah..."

“Ok. So spill it,” Asami said as she sat on her bed facing Korra. “I want details.”

“Uh…” Korra said as she took her usual spot when she slept over at Asami’s. She sat cross legged on the other side of the bed. “Where do I start?”

“The beginning, you dork.”

“Well, in the beginning there was man.”

“Korra,” Asami sighed, grabbing her pillow and throwing it at Korra.

“Well you said from the beginning!”

“Not the biblical beginning!”

“Fine, fine. Well, you know everything by now, right?” Korra grinned, squeezing the pillow tightly in her arms.

“Yeah, yeah, come on just dish out the important stuff!”

“Well when you and Rox stormed off,” Korra eyed her suspiciously, “Also what was that?”

“That’s not important now,” Asami glanced away, “I wanna hear everything about your first kiss!”

“Anyway, I kind of told him I wanted to kiss him just, you know, not in front of you all.”

“Ha, I told her…”

“What?”

“Nothing,” Asami smiled sheepishly, “And?”

“And he said he wanted it too!” Korra squeezed the pillow harder and squealed into it, peering at Asami.

“Aaaaaaaaand?”

“Well… He said that he liked me and I said that I liked him too and well… I kissed him. And then Bolin snored real loud and ruined the moment,” Korra said with a grin plastered to her face clutching the pillow like it was her new boyfriend.

“So what happened after that?”

“Well I asked him if we were dating and he said he’d like to and then we agreed to date and Bolin was there being all loud and stuff so Mako said he should put him in his room and I said I had to tell you what happened and then I found you outside,” Korra said. “You still haven’t explained what that whole thing was.”

“It isn’t even as remotely as important as this! Korra with a boyfriend. Mako the boyfriend. Should I go have a word with him, make sure he doesn’t do anything wrong?” Asami joked.

“I can handle myself! And it’s Mako, do you really think he’d do anything like that?”

“Not really,” she shrugged. “So that was the play by play. Now tell me how it felt!”

Korra blushed some more.

“Oh come on! If it was me I’d tell you all about it!” But Asami was lying. She did have her first kiss. She just didn’t know yet if she wanted it to count as her first kiss. And she didn’t know how Korra would react if she told her.

“It was… I don’t know, Asami, it was just really awesome and sweet and awkward and his lips were so soft I mean, Asami his lips were really really soft I didn’t know boys’ lips can be so soft and he was so gentle and careful and I was shaking an-”

“You were shaking?” Asami piped in, eyes wide.

“I was really nervous! I knew I’d kiss him, I really really really wanted to and my heart was beating fast and my mind went blank and if Bolin didn’t snore I think I’d have pounced him or something ‘cause I didn’t wanna stop and god Asami, I wanna go kiss him again!”

“You’re in love with Mako!” Asami said, teasing. Then she started singing, “First comes love then comes marriage!”

All the while Korra was smacking Asami with her pillow, trying to get her to stop.

“Ok! Ok! I’ll stop!” Asami laughed under the unrelenting assault from Korra’s pillow.

“Good!” Korra said victoriously.

“But I really want to know what it felt like. Not like physically… like… emotionally,” Asami said, her eyes sliding away from Korra. For some reason she became very interested in the bed spread.

“Why?” Korra looked at her, slightly confused.

Asami was wringing her hands, in an uncharacteristic display of shyness. “‘Cause! You’re my best friend and I wanna know how you felt!”

“Oh my god.”

“What?” Asami looked at her, eyes widening.

“YOU LIKE SOMEONE!”

“What? No!”

“Samiii. You tell me about him and I’ll tell you!”

Asami glared at her and reached out behind her to grab a pillow but she’d already thrown it. “There’s no one, c’mon, you know I’d tell you…”

Korra put her hands on her hips and gave Asami the, “Really?” look.

Asami pulled back and away from Korra, looking down at the bedspread.

“Sami?” Korra asked, genuine concern in her voice, “Are y-”

“How can you think i wouldn't tell you?” Asami’s eyes were still glued to the bed, “I'm your best friend, and you're mine, Korra, damnit it! I can't even pee without telling you, you dork!” She looked up, tears brimming in her eyes.

“Alright, alright,” Korra said dropping the subject and her gaze from Asami.

She wasn’t an idiot. She knew that her best friend was lying, that something was up. But if prying has Asami on the verge of tears, maybe it was better to just leave it be for now. At the same time though, it left Korra with a kind of hollow, cold feeling. What could it possibly be that she couldn’t tell her? They’d been best friends for three years now! What could possibly be that big of an issue that they needed to keep secrets from each other?

“What was it you wanted to know? How I felt?” Korra asked.

Asami only nodded.

A smile twitched across Korra’s lips. As bad as she felt for whatever this was between her and Asami right now, the fact that she got to kiss Mako multiple times made her too happy to contain.

“Oh man,” Korra sighed as she laid back on the bed, her head winding up near Asami’s knees. “I felt… heat. Like there was an inferno in my heart, it just kinda… started there and radiated out. Almost like I had dissolved into air. My head felt all light and empty. Like you know that feeling on your birthday or Christmas when you get a present from someone and you know exactly what it is, but it’s still all wrapped up in beautiful paper and you just open it super carefully and see that it is just what you wanted but it’s even better cause it’s from that one person you like? It was that kinda happy, excited, little surprised feeling.”

Asami nodded along with everything Korra was saying. It was exactly how she felt when Rox kissed her earlier. What did this mean?

“You want to talk about it?” Korra whispered, she felt like if is was said quietly, it was more secure. Something about secrets felt like they could only be conveyed in whispers.

“I’m more interested in talking about what you and Mako are going to do for your first date!” Asami said, determined to keep the focus of the conversation on Korra. “Oh man, he’s gonna have to meet your dad!”

“He’s met my dad plenty of times before.”

“Yeah, but he’s never dated you before. And have you met your dad? He’s kinda terrifying.”

“My dad’s not terrifying!”

“Korra… He’s like six and a half feet tall, and twice as wide as Mako. He looked like he could kill a man with his thumb. And we all know how much of a daddy’s girl you can be…” Asami started but was cut off by Korra yelling, “AM NOT!”

“As I was saying, you’ve got him wrapped around your little finger and I don’t doubt there’s nothing he wouldn’t do to keep you safe. I fear for Mako if he ever breaks up with you.”

“Whatever.” Korra grumbled but her grin was still plastered on her face. “I just really wanna go on a date with him now, see if he’ll be his typical awkward Mako.”

“Go on a date, Korra, we’re in highschool, what are you gonna, watch a movie during lunch break?” Asami snorted, covering her eyes with her hands.

“Sami!” Korra shouted, throwing the pillow back at her. “Nooooo.”

“Well, anyway, wanna know what I think?” Asami smiled, holding the pillow to her chest.

“Of course I wanna know you think, you’re my best friend, how could I not wanna?”

Asami felt a pang of guilt strike at her heart at Korra’s words but kept her smile, as sheepish as it may be.

“Well, I think you should go maybe for a movie, no! Laser tag is definitely more your thing. Then go for like, just a fifteen minute walk along the lake for like a really, really romantic date. And have a picnic or something. Oh wait, no, pizza!”

Korra snorted a laugh, moving over and leaning on Asami as she bumped her shoulder.

“Yeah, that does sound like a date I’d love.”

Internally Asami was cursing herself, that was what she was thinking about doing for Korra for her birthday next month. Now she was going to have to do something else.

Korra let out a long yawn. “What do you think? Was this a good birthday party? Even if I was the one with all the kisses?”

“Yeah,” Asami smiled, cringing internally. “I think it was pretty good.”

The girls yawned at almost the same time.

“Oh man,” Korra said. “How did it get to be two in the morning?”

“I have no idea,” Asami said as she fought to suppress another yawn.

“Sleepies time?” Korra mumbled, pulling the covers away and settling underneath them.

“Mmm, yeah. Just don’t whack me in my boob again.” Asami poked Korra’s arm and settled next to her, pulling the covers back over them.

“I’ll grope you, if you want it that bad.” Korra snorted, turning her back to Asami.

Asami swallowed dryly. Her mind utterly failing at coming up with something witty because it was blocked by the thought of Korra grabbing her.

“Well, good night,” Asami whispered.

The last thing she thought of as she fell asleep was the idea of being touched by another girl. And it didn’t really feel all that bad.

 

 

* * *

 

 

_There were hands on her own, she was kissing someone and it was amazing. She felt hot and warm and loved. The hands moved to her face and pulled her in for another kiss. It was amazing._

_Asami’s hands went to the person’s back and pulled her closer. Her chest pushing into the other woman’s. Hands started to roam, to touch and caress all of her glorious tan skin and rippling muscles._

_She felt a kiss on her neck and she moaned in pleasure as she gripped the back of the girl’s head._

_She felt fingertips trailing up her legs and  that’s when she cried, “Oh Korra! Yes!”_

 

 

* * *

 

 

Asami awoke with a start. Her eyes snapping open, heart racing, but her body unable to move. Something was draped across her chest.

Carefully, slowly, Asami turned her head to see Korra snoring next to her, one arm lying across Asami, cuddling her in her sleep.

“FUCK!” Asami yelled in her mind, and then she yelled it silently again when Korra twitched in her sleep and moved her head. She must have felt her dream or her response, or god forbid, her excitement.

Asami with extreme, forced, slowness crept out of her bed and went to the bathroom. The first lights of dawn were breaking so it was still super early. As her panic was subsiding, she felt impossibly tired again.

She washed her hands and her face with cold water.

Ok, so she might have just had a sexy dream where she was making out with her best friend. Or was it Rox she was making out with.

The hard details of the dream were slipping from her. But she knew that she was getting all excited from making out with a girl. And now that was all she could think about. The feelings that her dream gave her. The feelings she already knew she had when she kissed Rox. The feelings that Korra had when she kissed Mako.

Asami kissed someone she really liked. She kissed a girl and it was one of the best things she ever experienced. Does that make her gay?

She was unsure.

She really liked kissing Rox. Who was another girl.

For several moments Asami sat in the dark bathroom, gazing at herself in the predawn light in the mirror thinking of various famous women. She figured if she got excited thinking about them naked, that would confirm if she was gay or not. Right?

But actresses like Natalie Portman or Angelina Jolie were stupidly attractive to everyone, so if she liked them, did it count?

Yet she kept thinking about the kiss she had with Rox. Man, did she want to do that again. In fact she kind of wished the older girl was here still so she could kiss her again. It was almost as if Asami needed proof. She wanted to test her theory that she was gay and she really wanted to test it with Rox.

She splashed a bit more water in her face, wiped it away with her favourite, fluffy towel and headed back to the room.

When she returned, she found Korra had fully taken over her spot on the bed in some desperate search for warmth.

She pushed the covers away and tried to crawl in just as Korra’s eyes slowly opened, if only for a moment.

“Sami?” Korra’s sleepy voice was the cutest thing Asami had ever heard. It was a bit raspy, just a teeny tiny bit, and so, so sweet. Warm and just - Korra.

Asami contemplated for a moment, just sitting there on the side of the bed and staring at her, at Korra. At her best friend. She seemed to have to remind herself that a lot, lately. She leaned in close, close enough to hear Korra’s shallow, sleepy breaths and pressed her lips against Korra’s cheek lightly, smiling afterwards. She turned around and let her drape her strong arm back around her before she shifted abruptly to face the sleeping girl once more.

“Hey Korra?”

“Hmmm…?”

“I like girls,” Asami breathed, barely audible, confirming it as real and true.

“Hmm… me too,” Korra said. “I like you.”

Asami’s heart caught in her throat for just a second.

Korra yawned and continued, “I like Rox, I guess. I’m not a big fan of Ginger thought.”

“That’s…” she whispered, but what she was going to say next was drowned out by Korra’s slight snore indicating she was fast asleep. “That’s not what I meant.”

Asami looked at her sleeping best friend and before she could bring herself to say anything else to Korra, sleeping or not, she too fell back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kitty here. Hope you enjoyed. We sure did ;)


	10. Certain Understandings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asami comes to another realization about herself while Korra cements her relationship.

Despite whatever revelations the weekend caused and friendships it repaired, the following week destroyed them.

There were two things Asami was absolutely sure of when she woke up on Monday morning: she was in all likelihood very much gay, and Korra and her were determined to remain best friends despite everything.

And yet the only time Asami really got any time with Korra on Monday was history class at the end of the day. The class was fine but it didn't really offer the space for a much needed talk or anything. After class, before Korra went to practice, she was holding hands and sharing jokes with her boyfriend. Of course.

Now Asami knew how Korra felt when she had been talking to Rox and it kind of felt horrible.

Rox, on the other hand, was a whole other problem.

Rox didn't look at her all throughout geometry, and she didn't speak to her at all during lunch. Then when Asami took up her usual spot on the bleachers to watch the practice and do her homework, Rox didn't even acknowledge her presence.

But Asami was focused on hers.

Any lingering doubts about if she was sexually attracted to girls had been banished when the practice started. But if Asami was truly, seriously honest with herself, those doubts were gone when she saw Rox for the first time that morning, with her stupidly cute brown bob and cut muscles and that really annoying smile. Really adorably annoying. Watching Rox and Korra and the rest of the girls running around the surprisingly warm fall afternoon, cemented the knowledge that Asami had - she was definitely, one hundred percent, gay.

Tuesday was much the same. Korra and Mako continued to be an annoying item, barely making time for anyone else besides themselves. It was only natural, of course, but still, Asami couldn’t shake the annoying feeling of distress in her stomach each time she saw them. She still hadn't figured of what she was going to say to Rox when, if, she ever got her to talk, or even look, in her direction.

She felt herself grow short tempered and depressed, as she was sure Korra felt this weeks ago. The stupid heat for this late in the year definitely wasn't helping.

While waiting out the girls' soccer practice and perhaps drawing geometric diagrams a bit too forcefully in her notebook, Asami looked up to see the boys’ cross country team running laps on the track that surrounded the soccer field, with almost the entire team shirtless, thanks to the warm weather. Somehow, Asami found herself staring. Shirtless boys running around in circles with shorts that didn't really conceal their assets all that well and getting all hot and sweaty.

Oh shit. There was that feeling again.

What the hell? What does this mean? She was gay, she was sure of it. She'd just come around to thinking of girls as attractive and she knew she wanted to kiss them, one or two of them in particular. But now there was an entire team of shirtless boys that she found herself staring at as they ran endless laps around her. Shirtless and pretty. No, not pretty - hot.

She was thinking that she'd very much like to make out with them and run her hands over those toned chests and legs. And that stomach of Rox's, good god. She’d very much like to run her hand down her abs and just, uh, feel them.

Asami let out an audible cry of anguish and hit herself in the head with her textbook.

This was not a good time for this crisis.

She was gay. Wasn't she? Or was she? It was one or the other right? She thought that was how it went. Straight or gay and she was definitely having feelings for girls.

But now she was also having those feelings for boys.

Is it possible to like both?

"Uuugh!" She yelled again.

This was as exhausting as it was confusing. And she couldn't deal with it. Not now, not here. Asami slammed her books shut and threw them into her backpack before she stomped back into the school.She didn't say goodbye to Korra or Rox. She didn't stay to the end of practice like she always did, every day. Even when it rained.

Instead she got a ride from her driver and went straight home.

She left her stuff in her room and made for the bathroom, splashed some cold water on her face and stared at herself in the mirror.

"What do you want?" She snapped at her reflection.

Before she could answer her own question the door opened and there stood Mako in naught but a closely held towel.

The two teenagers looked at each other for a full second.

"Asami! Sorry! I didn't think you'd be home so soon!" Mako said as he hid himself partially out of view.

"No, no it's fine. I'm done here," Asami said as she dried off her face.

"Is practice done already? I was supposed to meet Korra when she was done," he said awkwardly. "I was going to take her to that pie place."

"She'd love that," Asami mumbled. "And no, I left early. I've got a lot of things to do."

She stalked off towards her room when she heard Mako call, "You ok? You don't look so good."

"I'm fine!" She yelled more bitter than she wanted to sound, and slammed the door shut.

She flopped onto her bed, her head almost hitting her backpack. She screamed into her pillow for a long second before grabbing her backpack and pulling out her geometry homework.    

She sat up on her bed and tried to do her homework, she really did. But she kept thinking of attractive people and the mental gymnastics required because she was thinking of both boys and girls and shit. It was all becoming a little too much.

She threw her text book down and just stared at the numbers and lines without really seeing them.

But they did give her an idea.

Asami worked well with numbers. Maybe the solution to her problem is in trying to put a number on this.

She climbed off her bed and started looking through her bookshelf for the last yearbook she had. She found her class and pulled out her notebook and turned to a fresh page. Maybe if she made a list of everyone she'd consider kissing and looked at the numbers, this whole thing would make sense.

* * *

 

 

"No Asami today?" Rox asked, trying to sound nonchalant, but only sounding worried. Usually Asami would wait until the end of practice and say goodbye to them but today, she seemed to have stormed off mid practice.

"I guess not," Korra muttered. They both heard Asami's cries of frustration but neither of them knew what caused them.

"Did she seem off to you today?" Rox asked.

"She's been off ever since her birthday," Korra said. "What the hell happened between you two?"

"She didn't mention it?" Rox asked in shock.

"No," Korra told her. "That's why it's weird. But you should talk to her. I would but it looks like my boyfriend is here."

Rox rolled her eyes at Korra's use of the word boyfriend. She thought for sure that Korra was at least a little gay. But whatever.

"I'll think about," Rox said. "Go hang out with your boyfriend." Rox stuck her tongue out at the word.

Korra just beamed and ran over to Mako. Somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered if that was the problem. Was Asami upset because she was dating Mako?

"Hey," he said with a smile. "I thought I'd surprise you."

"Aww you're sweet," Korra blushed. "But you really want to go out with me now? I'm all sweaty and gross."

"I'd go out with you anytime," Mako told her.

Korra blushed again.

"What were you thinking we'd do?"

"I was thinking we could go to the pie place down the block a ways," he said, hoping she didn't know it was free pie day when you bought a drink. He hated not having money. No money to pay back Tonraq and Senna, no money to pay back Hiroshi, no money to take out his girlfriend.

If Korra noticed she didn't care. All she heard was pie.

"Let me get changed and I'll be right there," she beamed as she leaned in slightly to kiss Mako.

"Get a room!" Called Rox as she walked passed them a few feet away.

Korra just responded by flipping her off. Then she turned to Mako and said, "I'll be right back."

Ten minutes later Korra returned to her boyfriend changed, and smelling moderately better.

“You really want to do this today?” she asked. “I mean we could wait for someday when I’ve had a shower and a proper change of clothes.”

Mako just smiled. “Korra, just so long as you’re still you.” He straightened out and blushed slightly before saying, “I’ll take you out to get pie if you’re covered in mud.”

“Well my charming man,” Korra said with a blush all her own, “shall we be off to pie?”

“Why are you talking like that?” Mako laughed as he grabbed her hand.

“Talking like what?”

“Like you’re just an accent away from being a right proper British lass,” he teased, slipping into an absolutely horrendous accent.

“Why Mako, whatever do you mean, kind sir? Why I always speak the fluentest, most poshest of accents, if you have not, perchance, noticed.” Korra continued with her teasing, altering her voice slightly. She barely managed to stifle a giggle at the end of the sentence.

Mako grinned along with her as they walked towards the bakery. “Perchance, madam, you’ll allow me to give you a kiss.”

Despite the ever growing blush across Korra’s cheeks, she grabbed one of her hair plaits and tugged on it in her characteristic display of awkwardness. “Mako,” she muttered. “We’re dating. You don’t have to ask every time.”

He shrugged. “I feel like I should. And besides you look real cute today and I’d like to kiss you if you want me to.”

“You’re pretty cute too.”

Mako leaned over slightly and his lips brushed against Korra’s.

The kissing newbies just pressed their lips together for a few seconds before breaking apart and grinning at each other like the smitten dorks they were.

Korra took his hand again and laced their fingers as they started for the bakery again, only a few steps away. Mako opened the door for her, bowing slightly, and Korra laughed with her cheeks flushing a crimson colour. As they settled at a table, Mako noticed a “Help Wanted” sign hanging on the window - he must have missed on their way in - and stored the information somewhere in the back of his head, making sure to remember and ask about it before they left. The waiter came and took their orders, a Coke and a key lime pie for Korra, orange juice and chocolate pie for Mako, and Korra quickly excused herself and went to the bathroom.

When the waiter returned with their orders, and Korra was still away, Mako seized the opportunity and grabbed the man by his arm, stopping him from leaving the table.

“Hi, um, excuse me, about that job,” He pointed at the sign, “Who do I talk to about it?”

The waiter just sighed. “I’ll bring you an application. Fill it out and leave with the hostess.”

“Thank you,” Mako said to the waiter’s back as he walked away.

When Korra returned she saw the pie and her eyes lit up, “Pie! And a cute boy to share it with! I’m the luckiest girl in the world!”

Mako laughed and shook his head. “You’re the biggest dork.”

“You like it!” Korra smiles as she dives in her pie.

“I do.” Mako smiles.

They ate their pie as they discussed their days, their legs touching underneath the table.

As they waited for the check to come, Korra spent the time trying to get the spoon to balance on her nose and Mako tried to get her to stop while hiding his laughter at the inappropriate shenanigans.

The waiter dropped off the check and the application he promised to Mako, who tried to quickly shove the piece of paper out of view but Korra saw it.

“What was that?” she asked.

“N-nothing,” Mako tried to lie, but one second of a flat stare from Korra and he sighed. “It’s a job application.”

“What do you need a job for? You’re in high school.”

“Someone’s gotta pay for Bolin’s new clothes. He’s grown like an inch since the start of the year!”

“Just ask my dad or Mister Sato.”

“I can take care of the both of us!” Mako suddenly snapped. “It was just the two of us long before you stepped in.”

“S-Sorry.” Korra suddenly pulled back, “I didn’t mean to... “

“Crap, Korra I, I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to sna-”

“Nevermind. Let’s just go, I need to go home, I’ve got some homework, yeah, maths and stuff.” She lowered her gaze as they stood up and reached in her bag, pulling out her wallet.

“I’m paying.” Mako announced.

“I’ll pay for mine.”

“No, out of the question.” He mumbled sternly and reached out to grab the receipt, only to have it snatched out of his hand by Korra.

“I said I’d pay for my part and I will, it’s not about you not being able, I just don’t believe in that stupid ‘guys gotta pay everything’ thing.”

“I still want to pay for everything, Korra. At least this once?” He looked at her pleadingly, hoping she’d understand. Just for once he wanted to not be a financial burden to someone he cared about. “Look, I’m sorry about all of this… It’s just that… I’ve just been so used to doing all of this on my own, it’s kind of hard to ask for help. And now I feel like I’ve gotten everybody doing everything for me. I feel like I’m eight again and the adults are in charge. For once I just want to feel like a grown up taking his awesome girlfriend out for pie.”

Korra nodded through a frown. She couldn’t really be mad at that. “Fine. But I’m leaving the tip.”

Mako smiled, a small one, but it was still there. “That’s fair. Thanks.”

“No, thank you,” Korra said, her frown starting to melt away. “You just bought me pie! That makes you my favorite person for, like, at least a week.”

Mako’s lips curled up on one side. “What happens after a week?”

Korra stood up to leave, sliding on her backpack, “Well you go back to being…” she started counting on her fingers. “My… fourth favorite person.”

“Fourth?! Who am I losing to normally?”

Korra smiled and patted his cheek, “You’re lucky you’re pretty.”

Before Mako could question it, Korra kissed him.

* * *

 

Asami was just finishing up her list. She’d gone through her entire eighth grade yearbook and a mental list of all the people she was in class with.

Just solely based on the criteria of “would make out with them if they asked” she had a very extensive list of names.

In grade school the number of girls Asami would willingly kiss strongly outnumbered the boys, almost 4 to 1.

But in high school the number had almost evened out. A little bit better than 2 to 1.

Asami was willing to say that the earlier predilection for girls was because girls develop faster than boys, so most of the boys pictured in the yearbook, where just that… boys. The guys in her sophomore level classes were definitely more than boys and so much more kissable.

She tallied up the total number. In grade school she was 71.875% likely to be wanting to kiss a girl.

But now that she was in high school the number was only 66.38% as likely to want to kiss girls.

Asami groaned in frustration and pushed the notebook away, falling back with her head hitting the pillow unceremoniously.

To say this whole situation was a complete mess would be a horrible understatement and Asami wasn’t really sure where to go from there.

She stared up at her ceiling and realized that night had fallen at some point.

Looking at the clock on her nightstand, it was already past seven. Her dad must have been working late again.

Her stomach grumbled in hunger, so with a great weight resting on her shoulders, Asami stood up and left her room, dragging her heavy thoughts with her.

After raiding the fridge Asami sat down at the table and mechanically put food in her mouth, not really thinking about it, not really tasting it. She had much more pressing issues on her mind.

That was when she had an idea.

She grabbed her plate and moved to the computer. She clicked on the internet icon and brought up google.

“is it ok to like boys and girls?” she typed.

If math couldn’t help her, maybe research could.

Asami spent almost an hour reading and researching various web pages, but when she heard the front door open and Hiroshi enter the house she quickly deleted the search history and closed the browser.

“Hey dad,” she called as she stepped out into the hall.

“Sorry I was caught up at work,” he said as he brought her in for a hug. “Have a good day?”

“Busy day,” Asami said. “I’ve still got a lot of homework to do. So I’m going to go finish it before I go to sleep.”

Hiroshi smiled at his hardworking daughter. “Don’t be up too late.”

“I won’t be!”

Asami sat back down on her bed and looked over her list once more. If she learned anything from the internet, and she took what she read as worth a grain of salt, it was that it was mostly ok to like both boys and girls, even if it was only a phase.

The list seemed to be staring at her, demanding that she add to it.

There was enough space at the bottom of the page for another name. Asami grabbed her pen and started to fill in the blank spot, but quickly crossed out the three letters she wrote.

“This concept is big enough,” she thought to herself, like she was giving herself a pep talk. “This is too big to bring in the moral and ethical dilemma of you wanting to make out with your best friend. No. We’re not going there. Not now, maybe not ever.”

Asami nodded to herself, resolute in her decision.

“Now we just need to decide what to say to Rox. How do we explain that we very much want to kiss her again?”

She let out another loud groan and flopped back on her bed. There was still lots more to think about and she still hadn’t finished her geometry homework, much less her Spanish and English.

It was going to be a long night, and the images of the cross country boys and soccer girls (Rox and Korra in particular) all sweaty and hot weren’t going to make her homework any easier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Asami. You can't solve everything with logic and math! One day you'll learn that.  
> I hope you're excited for the next chapter. Rox and Asami will finally have their heart-to-heart (it was supposed to be in this one, but it was getting too long) and hopefully it will turn into lip-to-lip. But with Kitty and me writing this... can you ever really be sure?


	11. Kisses and Confrontations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drunk-writing ole!

_Okay, relax Asami, you’re gonna do great. You’ll just wait around all day and after class you’ll grab her, drag her back behind the school, kiss her and tell her you love her. Wait, what? No! You won’t tell her you love her, for god’s sake, you don’t love her, you just have a… well you just wanna kiss her real bad. So, you’ll drag her back, be very strong ‘cause she’s a bull when she wants to be and she’ll push you away but you’ll grab her around her shoulders and you’ll tell her that you need to talk real freakin’ bad and she’ll finally listen._

_So, Rox. I need to talk to you._

_Scratch that._

_Rox, I really need to talk to you about something._

_Too long._

_Rox, you, me, talk._

_What is that even?!_

_Rox, please please please listen to me, I need to tell you something extremely important!_

_Ok, no, let’s just go with the first one. Drop the ‘so’ and we’re good, right? We’re good. Yeah, we’re so totally awesome freaking good then. If I manage to drag her behind the school._

_Rox, I really want to kiss you and I think you should kiss me back ‘cause that kiss we had was such an awesome kiss and I wanna kiss you again but I’m afraid you’ll push me away but kissing you felt good and I’m into girls but you’re the only girl I wanna kiss really ba- ok Asami, she’ll get it. You really wanna kiss her. No need to say it fiftyseven times._

_So she’ll probably be very confused and have that typical ‘waddup’ look and be all cool and smooth and probably really cocky ‘cause I was stupid and all so I need to be quick, real quick. But what if she doesn’t wanna listen? What if she just waves her head around and sings and refuses to listen? No, she’ll listen._

_Asami was staring at her notebook, her pen making low, nonsensical loops. She really should be paying attention to class. She should be taking notes. There was a test on this stuff next week. But the soccer girl had utterly and completely consumed her thoughts every waking moment. As did her rather poor reaction to the whole situation last weekend. She should have reacted better, but at the same time she knew she couldn’t change the past so she focused on trying to get the older girl to talk to her again, to kiss her again. Instead of paying attention to class._

_Ok so, Rox, you know how we kissed?_

_And then she’ll say ‘yeah, obviously I do’._

_And then I’ll giggle awkwardly ‘cause what else? But then I need to hurry before she thinks I’m trying to make fun of her and say something like, ‘I really liked it’. Yes, I need to tell her that first, she needs to know that. And then she’ll probably be even more confused. No, she’ll think I’m lying. Yeah, she’ll think I’m lying…_

_Maybe she won’t…? If she doesn’t and she says anything, I need to tell her that I really liked it and that I’d like to do it again. With her! Only with her! Yes, I need to tell her I really wanna do it again with her! I mean not it, just kiss her again!_

_God, Asami, you are so gonna fail at this… You can’t even think of a scenario without wanting to bury yourself alive somewhere thousands of miles away, how are you gonna tell Rox you like her?_

_If by any chance she says something to that, something positive, I should ask to kiss her. Or ask her to be my girlfriend. That’s how it works, right? You tell someone you like them and then they’re with you, right? That’s how it worked with Korra and Mako, it has to be the same, right?_

_But what if it’s not? What if it’s not supposed to be like that and if she actually hates me now? Oh my… I forgot about that. What if she’ll ridicule me? She’ll turn to me and she’ll laugh straight in my face with that freaking adorable but scary laugh of hers and she’ll point at me and say mean things to me and she’ll never ever want to kiss me again._

_Oh god, what if she found someone else? She’s super hot so she can probably kiss whoever she wants. And I’m such an idiot for pushing her away. She’s probably moved on already found someone prettier than me, or maybe she doesn’t even like girls anymore, she just thought she did and then she realized how stupid I am and likes boys._

_Damn it. That’s probably what happened. I completely turned her off to girls because of how stupid I am._

_She’ll push me away and say I’m an idiot who should rot in some hellhole and that she never wants to see me again. Yeah, that’s exactly how it’ll go… I shouldn’t hope, I shouldn’t even try and talk to her but… I need to. This is tearing me apart. If nothing else, I’ll have Korra to run and cry to, right? She’ll make time for her best friend. Maybe?_

_Or maybe she won’t want to listen to me either. Maybe she’ll tell me I’m a freak and that I should get treatment. Maybe this whole thing is really sick and I should go see a doctor and try not to be into girls._

_But I will tell Rox tomorrow. I’ll do as I planned. I will be strong. YOU will be strong Asami, you are a Sato afterall, and we are strong. I will tell Rox tomorrow, after class. No matter what, after class._

_You need to stop thinking about this right now, Asami. Oh shit, what is Miss Barrington saying? Pay attention you idiot! Oh, ok we did that last time, nevermind._

_And I need to stop speaking to myself in second person in my head. I probably need to stop speaking to myself, period. Yes, that does sound like a good idea._

 

* * *

 

The bell rang ending class for the day.

The students all collectively packed their bags up and started to head for the door.

“You ready?” Asami asked Korra.

“Yeah, I think so,” she responded. “It’s going to be an interesting game.”

“Here, I made you something for the bus ride there,” Asami said as she pulled out a decorated box filled with cookies.

“Oh man! Asami you’re the best!” Korra said as she opened it to find perfectly baked chocolate chip cookies. And then immediately shoved two in her mouth before pulling Asami into a hug.

“Hey, you’re welcome!” Asami smiled, her mind still elsewhere. “I know how hungry you get… well… how hungry you are all the time.”

Korra smiled as much as she could with two cookies in her mouth.

“Now, have you seen Rox around? I made her a box too and I’d really like to give her it before you guys leave tonight.”

“Uh… no. We’ve been in class together for the last forty five minutes,” Korra said as she spied her boyfriend down the hallway.

“Oh, yeah. Right. I should go try and find her. You know, to give her her cookies. Yeah. Ok. Good luck. Bye,” Asami rambled before giving Korra a quick hug and running off.

“What the…” Korra muttered.

“Hi, bye,” Mako said to the passing girl who didn’t notice or recognize the boy, she was so consumed with the thoughts and plans and where she was going. He reached his girlfriend and awkwardly gave her a hug, “So what was that about?”

Korra frowned. “I have no idea.”

Mako looked down at her. “Are you two still not talking?”

“I mean we’re talking. Sort of, but not like we used to and it fucking sucks.”

“What happened between you two?” he asked as they walked hand-in-hand.

“I have no idea! We talked and everything was cool for like a day, and then we started dating and she keeps blowing me off,” Korra sulked. That had to be it. Didn’t it? Korra started dating Mako and Asami stopped talking to her. It was Mako. Asami had feelings for Mako and she couldn’t tell Korra about it for whatever reason and now it was driving them apart. “What do you think I should do?”

Mako shrugged. “I don’t know. It seems like you would know better than I would. Do whatever you think. I’ll support you.”

“That’s not helpful,” Korra frowned. The source of her trouble with Asami wasn’t helping her solve it, so that certainly wasn’t making this whole thing any easier.

 

* * *

 

Asami spent almost twenty minutes looking across the entire school for Rox. The girl was nowhere to be found. She wasn’t in the cafeteria, the locker room, any of the classrooms Asami looked in.

She was about to give up on finding Rox entirely, when she almost ran into her near the front entrance where the soccer team was getting on the bus to go to the game.

“Oh, Asami,” Rox said nervously, her eyes darting to the floor and Asami’s shocked green eyes, unable to look away or at her. “Hey.”

“Rox! Uh.. hi… Um. I made you these?” Asami said, almost as a question, unsure if Rox would take the token of affection.

“I, um,” Rox started, unsure of what to say, “Thanks?”

“I thought you might like them.” Asami offered with a sheepish smile, wincing as the coach called Rox’s name.

“Roxana! We need to leave!”

“Thanks. But I need to go. We have a playoff game to win,” Rox said trying to put on an easy smile, but it wasn’t really working.

“Rox, before you go. We need to talk. Can we please, please, talk after the game?”

The soccer girl’s throat went dry, her tongue felt as if it was buried in sand. She tried to swallow. Everything in her wanted to deny that conversation, the longer version of the rejection she got last week. But looking at Asami, cute, pretty Asami, she couldn’t say no. “Uh.. yeah. Sure. But I’ve got to go.”

And without another word, Rox turned on her heel and ran on to the bus without a backwards glance.

Korra slunk deeper into her seat, muttering darkly to herself, watching her best friend exchange more words with her rival than she did with her all week.

 

* * *

 

The game was over, Korra played amazingly. Rox, not so much. But Asami didn’t, couldn’t, think about it. The fan bus was going back to school. And she was much too focused on the conversation that was going to happen between her and Roxana.

She was going over the script she had in her head over and over again.

There were millions of ways she could tell the sophomore she liked her, that she wanted to kiss her over and over again. But each one made her more nervous than the last.

The bus full of high school students was loud and full of happiness and cheering. They’d defeated their local rivals in the quest for the state championship. Everyone on the buss was ecstatic, except for Asami.

_You like Rox. You want to kiss Rox. Rox is a very attractive girl that you’d very much like to date._

_Now all you have to do is TELL HER THAT!_

The team had beaten the fan bus back to the school. But Rox was nowhere to be seen.

Most of the soccer team was still showering. So Asami just sat outside the door to the locker room and waited.

Girl after girl came out of, changed and happy that they’d advanced to the next round.

But Rox still hadn’t come out.

_She’s not gonna show. She doesn’t wanna talk to me, I know that._

Asami squirmed in her seat and stared at the locker room door and almost jumped out when the door opened a pair of familiar, dark skinned and broad shoulders appeared at the door.

“Korra!” Mako’s voice from the side startled her.

The girl at the door turned around and Asami sighed.

She felt like slapping herself. Sighing after seeing her best friend, was this what she’d come to? But she couldn’t help the roll of her eyes when Mako pulled Korra close and kissed her.

Korra’s eyes were soon on Asami, though, and she moved towards her, handing Mako her bag. “Hey Sami.”

“Hey,” Asami responded, not entirely enthusiastically.

“You’re coming for the pizza party, right?”

“Huh? Yeah, of course, yeah.” Asami shrugged, glancing at the door.

“Well, um, ok.” Korra mumbled, turning back to Mako. “See you there!”

“See ya..” Asami murmured after them and shifted her gaze away from Mako and back to the door just as it opened and Rox stepped out.

“Asami! Hey.” Rox said, her eyes downcast.

“Rox!” Asami stood up, sliding her arms and clasping her hands behind her back. “I was, um, I was waiting for you.”

“Great.” Rox muttered, “Yeah, um, you wanted to talk.”

“Yeah, so, y-”

“Let’s just go somewhere not here.” Rox hurried past her and towards the exit, holding her bag over her shoulder.

“Okay…” Asami followed, staring at her intently. They were going to have this out, one way or the other. And Asami dearly wished for more kisses.

They wound up in the back of the school, practically on the soccer field, sitting on the bleachers that Asami was on almost every day of the week.

“What?” Rox asked tersely. The oppressive nature of the “we need to talk” conversation, coupled with the fact that she played like shit in the game because this whole conversation with Asami was weighing on her was not helping her mood.

The harsh tone coupled with the aggressive glint in Rox’s eyes temporarily threw Asami. For all the planning and all the speeches she had in her head, not one of the stood against Rox’s glare.

“I… uh… I… wanted…” Asami sputtered. Come the fuck on! Tell her!

“Wanted to what?” Rox snapped. “Make fun of me? Reject me all over again? Tell me how you’d rather be making out with some boys? Or how about the fact that you think I’m gross and disgusting and an abomination and I shouldn’t talk to you ever again? Come on! Spit it out!” All of Rox’s insecurities and worries and fears were starting to seep out of the very tight container that she held them in.

“Uh…”

“Fuck! Out with it!” Rox snapped.

Asami for some reason felt like she might cry. There was something about the way Rox was saying these thing, something about the tone that made her afraid to continue, to say anything else.

“Ugh. Fine,” Rox said standing up. “Just, please do me a favor? Don’t tell anyone?”

“No,” Asami responded, finally finding her voice.

Rox turned and there was something, so hurt in her face. Like she was pleading to Asami to not out her, to not add to the pile of already horrible things happening to her that day, that week. Just please don’t.

“No. I mean that’s not what I want. I… god…”

“Asami, please. Just don’t make this any more difficult than it has to be,” Rox asked her, with a soft, hurt tone.

“Ugh!” Asami cried as she reached up to stop Rox from turning away again, and then, before she realized what was happening, she was kissing her. Their lips were meeting on the dark, empty bleachers on the soccer field.

It was short, and awkward, and Asami pulled away as quickly as she went in.

Then it was Rox’s turn to be speechless. “I… uh…”

Asami then took the opportunity to launch into one of her speeches, “Rox, I really wanted to kiss you and I think you should kiss me back ‘cause that kiss we had was such an awesome kiss and I wanna kiss you again but I’m afraid you’ll push me away but kissing you felt good and I’m into girls but you’re the only girl I wanna kiss really ba-”

Rox had a sly little grin on her face as she interrupted Asami’s rambling with another kiss.

“Why didn’t you just say so?” she asked the bewildered freshman, who had that stunned “I can’t believe that just happened” look on her face again.

Asami finally regained her sense and pulled back slightly, only to slap Rox on the arm. “It’s not like I didn’t try!”

“Yeah well… You ran away.”

“I did but Rox I-”

“I get it, ok? I know. Sorry I was so forceful.” Rox murmured, rubbing the back of her neck.

“No, you weren’t, I was just, um, I didn’t understand.” Asami waved her off as Rox opened her mouth to speak. “I know now.”

“Yeah?” Rox stared at her with a dopey grin.

Asami said nothing, she simply moved in closer and slipped her arms around Rox’s waist and hugged her close, resting her head in the crook of her warm, comfortable neck. “I’m sorry about how I reacted. I just was confused and scared of how much I’d like to kiss you again. And I like you, a lot.”

“Oh thank god.”

“So I’m assuming you like me too?” Asami asked, that old fear creeping up again.

“No. We just kissed like three times because I don’t like you.”

“Three? We only kissed twice?” Asami asked.

“”Oh yeah,” Rox said as she leaned in and stole another.

 

* * *

 

Asami finally returned to her room, collapsed onto her bed in a haze of happiness and joy. She kissed Rox! Again! Multiple times!

Oh god it was the most wonderful feeling. Just the memory of her soft lips against hers was enough to bring a stupid grin to Asami’s face.

She was happier than she was in months.

That was when she noticed her Razr had one missed text on it from several hours ago.

**Korra (9:57** ): We need to talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special mentions go to Bourbons, well, bourbon and my wine.


	12. Fight, Make Up, Make Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They need to talk and so they do.   
> Be ready for a lot of line breaks because this chapter is all about putting things into perspective and making some really important parallels.

Asami's heart was pounding fast in her chest.

_"We need to talk."_

She reread the message for the 5th time in hopes of reading into it enough to know what about but, that was all Korra told her. She didn't elaborate what the conversation was going to be about, she didn’t send her another message, Korra didn’t even reply to her own confused and questioning message. Holding her phone in her hands and rereading the message yet again, Asami had this horrible, foreboding, sinking feeling in her chest and it felt like she was drowning in the Arctic.

She prepped herself as much as she could for what she was certain would be her first fight with her best friend. And she didn't even know what it was about.

All day while she was waiting for Korra to show up at her house Asami was thinking of everything she could have possibly done. What did she do to Korra? Did she do something to Korra? What did she need to apologize for? Was there anything to even apologize for?

Her legs were starting to burn from the constant pacing she'd done while waiting for her friend. Shit, were they even friends anymore?

Of course they were. Friends don’t just stop being friends over something so stup- but what was something actually? Asami was so lost in her thoughts that the sound of the doorbell almost made her jump out of her skin.

She rushed down to the door and opened to see a frowning Korra.

"We need to talk."

 

* * *

 

"We should talk," Asami said as she pulled away from those exquisite lips she just touched.

Holy shit they actually did it. They kissed. Three times. She kissed Rox and Rox kissed her and good god that was so much better than she imagined it would be. Her face was flushed, her body warm, and her heart was beating a mile a minute.

"We probably should," Rox said as she slowly started pulling her fingers from Asami's back and across her sides. "Or we can kiss some more." She had the gorgeous little grin with the slightly raised eyebrows that made Asami weak at the knees.

They really should talk, but Asami kept looking at those dark, inviting lips.

She took a deep breath and leaned into another kiss with the beautiful older girl.

Rox smiled into the kiss as her hands flew back around Asami, settled at the small of her back and Rox pulled her in close. For a second Asami couldn't feel anything besides the pure joy and happiness and softness of the kiss. Then she felt Rox’s tongue flicker over her lip ever so slightly and she pulled away suddenly.

"What?" Rox asked, nervous that she ruined it all somehow.

Asami stared at her, taking notice of the innocence in Rox’s eyes and the warmth between them. “Nothing,” She said with a smile.

"Come here then."

With another breath Asami leaned into another kiss, this time parting her lips and shuddering when she felt Rox’s tongue brush over them. With each touch of her tongue, Asami felt heat rush straight from her head to her core.

After several minutes the girls pulled away to catch their breath.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Rox said looking Asami in the eye and threading her fingers through Asami’s dark hair.

"I think we need to talk about what is going on between us." Asami dropped her gaze as she answered, looking at her hands with a newfound nervousness.

 

* * *

 

"What did you want to talk about?" Asami asked, her heart pounding and her hands wringing nervously together. She could feel her palms sweating and she almost felt as if she was being interrogated or something really scary like that.

"We need to talk about what's going on with us," Korra said in the safety and privacy of Asami's bedroom. The space was close, intimate and private and somehow it almost made the conversation worse, but the distance that Korra put between them was the most unnerving part of it all.

"What do you mean?" Asami gulped, looking at her.

"What do I mean?” Korra repeated Asami’s question, making it sound almost offensive in Asami’s ears. Like it should be obvious. None of this was obvious to her. There were so many things that had happened recently, she didn’t know how to react to any of them much less what Korra was upset about.

“What is this all about, Korra?” Asami asked as she sat down on her bed and brought her hands together in her lap.

“It’s about the fact that you, of all people, have been distancing yourself from me!” Korra spat in a hurried and loud voice.

“What?” Asami looked at her again, disbelief seeping out with her question.

“You've been real cold and distant and avoiding me and you've been weird since I started dating Mako!" This time, Korra was shouting.

Asami was taken aback. She has been distancing herself from her best friend? Should could swear it was the other way around. And she was cold? She has been acting weird? Something wasn’t adding up.

“Wait, what?” Asami couldn’t quite form a more coherent question, at least not just yet.

“What?” Korra gawked at her, finally meeting Asami’s gaze. The blue in Korra’s eyes seemed to wanna pierce right through her.

"I've been weird?" Asami scoffed. “I’m distancing myself from you? Me?” She spat back, clenching her fists. How dare Korra try to turn this back on her. After all the stupid shit Korra’s done over the last couple of months? "You've been all over the map since school started! You've been flakey and jealous and all sorts of shit!"

“Me?” Korra spat back. “What about you? You’ve been all weird ever since I’ve gotten a boyfriend. And what do you have?”

 

* * *

 

“So what exactly do we have here?” Asami asked as she sat down on the bench with Rox next to her, their fingers interlaced.

“Make outs with a cute girl?” Rox’s ever present grin seemed as if it were plastered across her lips.

“Yeah… Besides the obvious, I mean.” Asami said.

“Make outs with a cute girl named Asami who is very cute indeed?” Rox tried again.

“Rox…”

“I’m just saying, you’re cute, we’re making out… that’s pretty much what we have here.”

“But are we dating? Is that what we do now?” Asami asked. Suddenly this whole thing is out into a place she never expected it to go.

In every iteration that she thought up in her head every possible make out scenario, rejection scenario, everything she thought of, none of them went like this.

“I mean, I don’t know…” Rox trailed off, suddenly not looking Asami in the eye. “I’ve… never done anything like this before. I mean I kissed some boys before and didn’t like it. I kissed you and liked it a lot. But I’ve never dated anyone before. And then there’s the whole…” Once again she trailed off, but it was more like the next word had gotten lodged in her throat, like she was choking on the implication. She swallowed hard, “...gay thing. You’re the only one I’ve ever told.”

“Really?” Asami stared at her. “I though-”

“No. I never told anyone, I mean, I’m… I’m still kinda trying to make sure.” Rox interrupted.

“You seemed so confident like, with me, and stuff.”

“I was actually freaking out so bad.” Rox said, rubbing the back of her neck with a sheepish smile on her face. “I didn’t know what I was doing. I still don’t know.”

“Me either,” Asami admitted. “I don’t know what I’m doing because you’re my first.”

Rox snickered, “Your first.”

“Oh come on!” Asami swatted at her arm, chuckling.

“So I think we can safely say that we’re both equally lost.”

“Yeah…” Asami took a deep breath and finally the words came rushing out, “Rox I like you a lot. I think you’re awesome and cool and confident and hot and I’m attracted to you a lot, but I think I need to tell you that I’m also attracted to the idea of boys. There’s no boys I want to make out with at all, but I think if there was one at the right time. But I don’t know. The point is I think I like boys and girls but mostly I just really like you. If that makes any sense. You’re the one I want to… be with? I don’t know.”

“So… is there someone else you’d rather be with? Should I be jealous?” Rox only asked back.

Asami’s mind was only able to say, “Uh….”

 

* * *

 

“Uh…” Asami tried to come up with something to say, some kind of counter to Korra’s argument.

“Is there someone you want to be with? Is it Mako? Should I be jealous that my best fucking friend wants my boyfriend?”

Asami winced at Korra’s harsh words and stood up, unconsciously balling her hands up into fists. “No! I don’t give a shit about Mako, or the fact that you two are dating! That’s not it at all!” She turned around, not able to keep Korra’s harsh, hurting stare.

“Then what is it?” Korra yelled. “What happened?” Korra almost crossed the distance between them and reached out for Asami’s hand but she stopped even before taking a step, too hurt to move.

“I didn’t do anything!” she lied. “It… you… she…”

“Asami, what the fuck is going on? Since when have we ever kept secrets from each other. Ok fine, maybe I’m partially to blame. But you can’t hide the fact that you’ve been weird as shit since your birthday party. You tell me it isn’t because of me and Mako, fine, I want to believe you, but you’re still not telling me something. What the hell happened? Why did we stop telling each other things? Why are we not best friends any more?”

There were tears dancing in both girls’ eyes. Korra’s because it was the sadness and fear that her friendship with Asami was over, that something had happened that was her fault and their friendship died because she kissed the boy she liked. And as much as she liked Mako, if that was the reason she would take back that night and that kiss in an instant, without a second thought or hesitation. Asami meant too much to her, so much more than Mako did at that moment. While Asami was trying to keep her tears under control because of the fear of admitting what she was and what she did with someone else, to Korra, the most important person in her life. The fear of rejection she picked up was rearing its ugly head and Asami didn’t know if she could do it, she was starting to crumble to the terror.

“I… I… I…” Asami stuttered. Her brain had become a broken record, she was trapped between the pressure from her best friend, her favorite girl in the whole word, to admit the truth, and the new found fear of saying that word out loud.

Korra’s expression was a tense mixture of hurt and sadness, “Fine. I get it. Bye Asami.”

The girl’s best friend turned her back on her and walked to the door and the fear that Korra would be out of her life forever at that point scared her more than anything else.

“I made out with Rox!” Asami said quietly.

Korra stopped and turned, her hand still on the doorknob.

“I made out with Rox!” she said again, louder, trying to get Korra to understand her and stay. _Please don’t go. Not now. Not you._

The expression on Korra’s face was unreadable. “That’s it?”

 

* * *

 

“That’s it?” Asami asked.

“Yeah,” Rox said.

It all seemed so uncharacteristic. Rox was so confident and sure of herself. This… this was neither of those things.

Rox took a deep breath and looked out across the dark field, “I really, really like you. A lot. But I think that if we dated, like in public, being out and all that stuff. That’s scary. High school kids are mean as hell. And I don’t think I’m strong enough to take that. And I don’t want to put you through it for all four years. I’ve only got two and a half left. Besides, I saw what happened to a girl that some of the older girls thought was a lesbian. It wasn’t… nice. She had to transfer schools after a month.”

“So you want us to not date, but make out sometimes?” Asami asked. This wasn’t how it should have been.

“We could be exclusive. Just kissing only each other,” Rox offered.

Asami swallowed disappointment and a kind of bitter sadness. “That’s fine,” she said through a forced smile. “Just so long as I get to kiss you again and again.”

“Oh absolutely,” Rox beamed as she kissed Asami softly again. “You sure you’re ok with this?”

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?” she responded with a total lie and a forced smile.

 

* * *

 

“Are you ok with this?” Asami asked, her face scrunched up in the anticipation of hurt and pain and the tide of judgement and hate coming her way from the girl in front of her.

“Yeah,” Korra shrugged. “That’s really all this is about? You made out with my sports rival?”

Asami nodded.

“So are you two dating?”

That was it, she was finally unable to keep the tears at bay. The flood had come. Asami started crying and sank down to her bed. “I don’t know.”

“How do you not know?” Korra said as she was instantly at Asami’s side pulling her into a strong and safe hug.

Asami didn’t say anything more for a couple of minutes, she only wrapped her arms tightly around Korra and leaned against her, holding her close and sobbing into her shoulder. The warmth and safety of Korra’s arms felt better than anything possibly could at this moment and all the pain and anguish she’d felt throughout the past few days seemed to vanish in Korra’s presence. Just like always.

“I’m so sorry,” Asami said in between sobs. “I’m so stupid.”

“Asami,” Korra said gently. “You are the least stupid person I’ve ever met.”

She tried to dry her eyes, but the tears still hadn’t stopped. “But Rox is afraid to date me in public. She doesn’t really even like me that much. That has to be it, right?”

“Is that what she said?”

“No… she said that high school kids could be cruel and she doesn’t want to make my life difficult by making me come out. Oh my god Korra, you can’t tell anyone!” Asami gently pushed herself away and stared at Korra with a panicked expression.

“Asami, who would I tell?” Korra chuckled. “I could tell Mako, but he has even less people to tell. And there’s a reason no one tells Bolin any secrets ever.”

And with that Asami let a laugh escape her.

“It sounds to me like Rox really likes you, she’s trying to look out for you. And she’s at least partially right. High school kids are the worst. I mean except for me.” Korra grinned, earning another chuckle. “And you. But if you think you need to come out I’ll beat the shit out of anyone who tries to make your life difficult. If you don’t want to, I’ll support your decision either way.”

“God Korra,” Asami muttered as she pulled her best friend into a bone crushing hug. “You’re the best.”

“I do try on occasion,” she grinned. “But there is one thing I’ve got to ask: does this mean the entire time we talked about cute boys over the years, you were just agreeing with me?”

Again, Asami laughed, Korra just had that talent. Even here, at her lowest, most vulnerable point, Korra made her laugh. “No. I think I like boys and girls. But I’ve only kissed Rox, so I can’t be sure. But… yeah. I like them both.”

Korra nodded in acceptance and just said, “Damn. That sounds exhausting. Like I’m tired just thinking about it. But if you want, I can totally have a conversation with Rox. Tell her to treat you better and buy you pizza and dessert and stuff. You know, if you want me to.”

Asami laughed again and said, “No, I appreciate the thought though. Thank you Korra. You’re the best friend any girl could ask for. I love you.”

“I love you too you big dork,” Korra smiled. “Now that we’ve sorted that out, can we go back to being best friends for life?”

“Of course.”

“Ok, because ever since I said pizza that’s all I want out of life and I think we need an extra large with extra cheese and an order of garlic bread.”

“How is it that you know exactly what I need at any given moment?” Asami asked as she finally got around to drying her eyes.

“Well considering how epically I misread the situation before, I think I was about due to get something right. And besides, you ditched our pizza celebration last night to make out with Rox.”

“What? I didn’t!”

“You totally did!” Korra teased. “Apparently kisses are more important to Asami Sato than pizza!”

“How dare you say that about pizza!” Asami scoffed. “And besides, I think I had a part in that whole misunderstanding thing we had going on there.” She said and took Korra’s hand, leading her out of the room and heading for the stairs.

“We both had,” Korra said with a chuckle, “but next time, can you just tell me when you like someone so we can skip this whole horrible situation of being in the dark? Cause you know how bad I am at reading these things,” Korra stopped mid step and squeezed Asami’s hand, “Whoever you might like, boy or girl.”

Asami smiled, tightening her grip on Korra’s hand. “Same goes for you.” She moved down the stairs and Korra followed closely as they finally let go of each other’s hand.

“Though, I think I’m set for the liking boys bit right now,” Korra continued with a chuckle, “And I’ll let you know if I ever fall for any girls!” She joked.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yoho, Kitty here! Did you like this one? We loved writing it, I mean I did and I think Bourbon quite enjoyed it as well. I guess there's more to everyone than meets the eye, right?


	13. Flaws in the Foundations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yay another chapter! Also, we've come to realize this is a weekly thing so yeah, a chapter a week, apparently. As we've said before and keep saying, Korrasami here is a very, VERY slow burn and you won't see it for a bunch more chapters. But we will taunt you. A lot. What happens in this chapter is that some foundations are set but there are quite a few flaws in them as Asami grows ever more impatient with Rox and Korra's disheartened by Mako's disability to sustain a normal relationship.

Friday was date night, or as close to date night as three high school freshmen and a sophomore could get, especially since one relationship was a secret to all but one other person.

The cold, frozen snow was starting to seemingly stretch on into forever. February hadn’t given up yet, and the winter seemed like it just wouldn’t end. Which as far as Korra was concerned was just fine. It gave her a reason to snuggle up close to Mako.

“Ugh,” Rox said sticking out her tongue. “Get a room you two.”

Mako just gave a shy little smile as Korra slid across the bench even closer to her boyfriend all while glaring at Rox. Her eyes said, “You could totally have this with Asami if you wanted to.” But her lips said, “You’re just jealous I have my own personal heater and nacho fetcher.”

Again Mako smiled, “Is this your way of saying you want nachos?”

“Yes please!” she said as she pulled out some money from her wallet and pushed it into his hands before he could say anything.

“Ok, I’ll be back,” Mako said as he gave Korra a quick kiss. “And I should probably check on Bolin at the arcade, make sure he hasn’t broken anything yet.”

Korra watched Mako head over to the concession stand over by the arcade where the rest of the group was. Bolin never quite mastered the patience to bowl, so he spent most of the time in the arcade, shamelessly flirting with some of the other girls while playing all the strength based games.

The couples, however, were once again, trapped in a bowling grudge match. The last four games had ended in a tie and they weren’t going home until one couple proved their dominance.

“You’re just mad that I’m bowling better than you are this game because I don’t have a boyfriend to distract me,” Rox said as she got herself another spare.

Korra just rolled her eyes and bit  her tongue before a mischievous grin painted her lips.

“I know someone who’d love to distract you,” She smirked, glancing towards Asami who was approaching them, coming back from the restroom.

Korra was very vocal in her opinion that keeping it a secret was very dumb, because she wanted to see Asami all happy and giggly in public with someone she cared about, girl or not. But once Rox heavily hinted that her father might react badly to the news, Korra dropped the subject. Mostly. The chance to needle the girl who was so much better than her in every way was too good to pass up.

Rox was looking at Asami, blushing a little and unable to form a good comeback.

“What?” Asami asked as she descended into the seat immediately next to Rox. “I washed my hands.” She demonstrated by pushing her hands into Rox’s and holding on for just a second too long.

“Fixing your makeup too?” the older girl finally managed to ask.

Quickly Asami scanned the bowling alley. No one was looking, and no one they knew was even remotely close by. “Yeah but my lipstick isn’t even,” she said as she quickly gave Rox a kiss on the lips.

It was as sweet as it was fleeting but Rox’s reaction vexed her more than she could have imagined. The older girl pulled back, looked away from her before she quickly stood up and grabbed a bowling ball, walking away hastily, muttering something about needing a different ball to beat Korra and Mako.

Korra stared at Asami’s fading smile before glancing at Rox with a frown. Her gaze returned to Asami and she murmured with a sigh when Asami’s eyes met hers, “If I was her, I’d be kissing you in public all the time.”

Asami offered Korra a sad smile. The thought was appreciated, if not even entertained for a moment. “Thanks. I mean things are great when we are by ourselves, but out in public like this is… hard.”

“Should we wrap this game up so we can get out of here and the two of you can be alone?” Korra asked, trying somehow to make Asami happy. Even if it meant getting her alone with her girlfriend so they can make out. Which made her strangely jealous. It has to be because she doesn’t have that privilege, Mako and her are not actually allowed to be alone at home but then again, they are together in public… Korra shook her head and looked back at Asami, willing the thoughts away. But those thoughts were immediately replaced with that same reoccurring thought : I’d kiss you all the time, how does Rox not want to do that? She didn’t understand but for some reason, the whole ordeal, kissing Asami and all that, it didn’t sound bad at all. Just not something she could ever do. But if she were Rox, she’d definitely do it, all the time.

“What did I miss?” Mako asked as he returned with a small mountain of cheese covered chips.

“Rox is mad that she got a spare instead of a strike, so she went to get another ball,” Korra said instantly. “And have I ever mentioned you’re the best boyfriend ever?”

In a strange attempt to quiet the thoughts in her head that were mad at Rox for not kissing Asami, she grabbed Mako and kissed him hard.

After a few seconds the stunned boy said, “Uh… you’re welcome?”

Asami averted her gaze and rolled her shoulder awkwardly, looking for Rox who returned to the group a second later.

“Ooh nachos,” Rox said grabbing one, her demeanor had completely changed since she left. “Mako, you’re amazing. You sure you want to date Korra? You could always trade up.”

Asami was staring at the side of Rox’s head, her eyes betraying her with equal parts sadness and fury. The same look she had every single time Rox did something like this. She couldn’t help it.

“Asami?” Rox asked. “What?  It’s your turn.”

Korra let out a quiet sigh as Asami slowly stood up and just threw the bowling ball down the alley with all rage and no skill, not even hitting any pins.

Korra’s blue eyes met Rox’s hazel and she yelled across the space with her mind, “The fuck is wrong with you?!”

“There, game’s over, right?” Asami said as she stalked back to the bench and sat down as far away from Rox as possible.

“Yeah, looks like it,” Mako said.

Korra took another second to glare at Rox without Mako noticing, before she nuzzled her boyfriend. “You throw good ball.”

“That’s what she said,” Rox muttered.

“So now what?” Mako asked. “We’ve still got a big pile of nachos and unless someone wants to pay for another game…”

“We could always watch Bolin and his gaggle of girls in the arcade,” Asami offered.

“Laser tag!” Korra shouted. “Let’s finish our nachos and get everyone for a big game of laser tag!”

“Sounds good to me,” Rox said as she gently, softly, poked Asami’s arm. For a brief second the girls looked at each other. There was just the barest hint of a pleading in Rox’s eyes, she wanted to have fun, she wanted to do stuff with Asami.

Asami simply shrugged and walked past her, catching up to Korra who was already ahead and hooking her arm around her best friend’s as Rox stayed behind with Mako but followed with a rushed step. The two couples walked over to where Bolin was trying to win the ring the bell with the hammer strength game to impress the others that they brought with them.

“Hey Bo!” Korra called. “How about some laser tag?”

“Like you even need to ask!” Bo said after he swung the hammer like it weighed nothing and run the bell.

Altogether, they polished off the nachos as Bolin took the sheer number of tickets he won to buy one of the girls that was following him around all day a cute little stuffed elephant. Korra smiled at the gesture, but Asami continued to frown, she was seething inside.

The round of laser tag they found themselves in on was a free for all, no teams. Just last man standing, which suited Asami just fine.

Everyone was briefed on the rules and given the vests and toy guns, the entire time Rox was standing next to Asami, casually brushing against her arm every once in a while with a hopeful look that was only reciprocated with a harsh frown or nothing at all. She wasn’t sure which she hated more, the anger Asami obviously felt towards her or the indifference she showed.

Then the game started, and Asami took off into the dim lighting of the arena, leaving Rox behind. They had thirty seconds before the round even started, and Rox was desperately searching for her girlfriend, even if that didn’t feel like what they were at that moment.

She finally found her just as the game started. Rox held up her hands to show Asami that she wasn’t there for the game, but Asami shot her anyways. Rox’s vest vibrated uncomfortably to tell her that she was hit.

“Asami,” she said quietly. “I’m sorry.”

Asami just shot her again, causing more uncomfortable vibrations against her chest.

“C’mon, Asami, please,” Rox pleaded, “I just, I wanna talk, ok?”

Asami glared at her, mumbled something and ducked behind a wall, hiding from a passing enemy player.

“What was that?” Rox tried to shout quietly, as stupid as it was, and ducked behind a wall opposite Asami, all the while staring at her.

“You don’t have to say stuff like that,” Asami grumbled as she shot Rox once more.

“Ow! Say what?”

“You don’t have to pretend that you want to steal Korra’s boyfriend. No one here gives a flying fuck about your sexuality. Except for you apparently,” Asami whispered angrily.

“God, I’m sorry. It was a joke. A pretty lame one evidently… But I’m sorry. You know why I’m afraid to do this stuff in public,” Rox said.

“I know!” Asami sighed with exasperation. “I know! I get it! I’m nervous too. But when you do stuff like that and then run away from me you’re making it just so unnecessarily difficult!” Asami all but shouted with another shot to Rox’s vest.

“Ow! Will you please stop shooting me?”

“Fine.”

“Look, I’m sorry. I really really am sorry. I don’t want to date anyone but you. I don’t want to kiss anyone but you. But I’ve been hiding this part of me for so long that I forget that with you I don’t have to hide… and honestly I’m just scared. I like you a lot and I’m scared that somehow I’m going to royally fuck up. Right now I’m terrified I already fucked it up. God Asami, I’m sorry. I’m such an idiot.”

Asami sighed and put her gun down. “I’m sorry too. I’m overreacting. It’d just be nice to know that I’m the one that you want every now and again. I don’t know… Stolen kisses in the bathroom or something. Playing footsie under tables while we eat. Anything really.”

“Would it be better if I told you that you could punch me anytime I said something like that to make you upset?” Rox asked.

“Maybe…” Asami mumbled.

“I’ve got to unlearn my bad habits somehow.”

“Fine,” Asami said as she gave Rox a painful punch to her shoulder.

“What about if I kissed you right here, right now?”

Asami shrugged, feigning ignorance.

Rox stared at her for a moment before she leaned in and pressed her lips against Asami’s for a brief moment. She pulled back and held her gaze with a smug grin.

“That’s not a kiss.” Asami grumbled, glancing to the side.

Rox huffed a chuckle and leaned in again, cupped Asami’s face with both her hands and pulled her in, kissing her with just a bit more force than she’d planned. She smiled in the kiss when she felt Asami kissing back, before mumbling, “Is that good enough, my queen?”

“Perfect,” Asami said with a giggle and kissed her again.

Rox eagerly returned the kiss and for a minute or two, both completely forgot where they were and what they were doing, prior to the whole kissing thing. Just as they pulled back for a bit of air, both intent on continuing their kissing session, a figure approached them behind the wall and luckily, was loud enough for Rox to realize and pull away just in the nick of time.

The second she pulled away from Asami, it was hard to tell if it was before or after the kiss, her chest vibrated again as Mako yelled, “I totally got you!”

Asami instantly frowned and shot Mako back in response all the while thinking, “I’m the only one that can shoot my girlfriend.”

“Well… looks like I’m out,” Rox muttered. “Of the game. I’ll see you outside.”

Then, making sure no one was in visual range, kissed Asami again.

“Bye,” Rox whispered.

Once again, Asami’s anger was back. This time, however, it was directed at Mako. How dare he interrupt kisses she so desperately wanted. Desperately needed.

Mako was having fun, he was doing pretty good. He got Rox out but then he was immediately tagged by Asami, who he didn’t even see.

He went back into the dark recesses of the arena and was tagged again, by someone he didn’t even see coming. His game started getting worse.

Before he knew it he was knocked out without even managing to get a single shot off. Then his phone started vibrating and his face lit up when he saw the caller ID. He spent the next five minutes tapping his foot and waiting for the game to finish and when it did, he ran up to Korra, trying to tell her that he had to go to work. Which, in fact, he didn’t mind at all because the more money he made, the less guilty he’d feel for always being everyone’s burden.

“Hey Mako, I was thinking that we could walk to Asami’s together, I mean look at how nice it is outside. With the moon and snow and stuff, it’d be nice,” she asked before he could tell her he had to go into work.

“Uh… Actually,” he started.

Korra instantly started to frown. “What.”

“I’ve got to go into work. They’re short staffed.”

Korra, of course, didn’t take the news as joyfully as he did. In fact, Korra was pissed off beyond measure. “You’ve got to be kidding me! Aren’t there labor laws or something that stops this? This is the fourth time, this week. Are we ever going to actually get to the end of a date without you having to work? Jesus!”

“Sorry, but I’ve really got to go.”

“Fine! Just… go.” Korra mumbled, putting on her jacket and turning away from him.

Luckily, Mako got to storm off before she made a scene, guiltily glancing at Asami and Rox before he slipped out of the building.

Asami stared at Korra and was about to say something but Korra cut her off.

“I’ll be waiting in front of the building for you. We are still going to yours, right? Just go. Go get what you want.”

“Yeah!” Asami wanted to jump for joy, as strange as it may be, Korra managed to completely control her anger and not direct it anyone present. Which was a rare occurrence. Asami stepped in, wrapped her in tight, brief hug and pecked her cheek with a silent ‘Thank you,’ before Rox and her disappeared behind the building, returning a few minutes later, hair tousled, Asami’s make up less perfect than it was before, Rox’s lips looking slightly more red than before, and Asami continuously touching her neck and wincing slightly, tugging her scarf further and further up.

Korra raised a single eyebrow at the two of them. Her jealousy that she wasn’t the one making out with a… someone… briefly taken over by surprise.

“What?” Asami asked.

Rox just smiled and pulled her into a hug that lasted slightly too long for friends. “We’ll have to do this again sometime real soon. Whenever we can sneak away. What do you think if I offered to give you another one in the bathroom during lunch next week?”

Asami shivered and not entirely because of the cold. “I’d like that,” she said, but declined to mention that as hot as that would be, she’d much rather kiss Rox chastely in public, even just hold her hand.

“Hey,” Rox said when she pulled away. “Why not instead of you two walking, I give you a ride?”

“You have your driver’s license?” Korra asked.

“Well it’s technically my learner’s permit, and if I get pulled over with passengers I’ll probably never get my license, but I don’t think that’ll happen,” Rox commented.

Korra gave Asami a skeptical look.

“Oh come on!” she said back, “what’s the worst that can happen?”

“I die,” Korra muttered. “Rox, I swear to god, you kill me and I will haunt you forever. I’ll make sure you never have a decent internet connect so long as you live.”

Rox just smiled, “I happen to be an excellent driver!”

“Fine, let’s go,” Korra grumbled, already knowing she was going to be relegated to the back seat.

Asami was practically skipping to the car in joy. She got to spend some more quality time with Rox thanks to Korra. That girl understood. Korra always understood.

Once inside the rusty, beat up silver sedan, Korra wedged herself in the too small backseat. The second after Asami buckled herself in the car she reached across the middle console and grabbed Rox’s hand in her own as her girlfriend drove.

Korra resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

A few minutes later they arrived in front of Asami’s large house and the girl leaned across and pulled Rox into a fierce, but short kiss, “Thanks babe.”

Rox’s face was flush and she managed to sputter an, “anytime.” before the passengers climbed out of the car.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Alright, let’s see it!” Korra said, grinning smugly in the safety of Asami’s room.

“See what?” Asami glanced to the side, tugging on her scarf.

“Oh come on, we’ve been here for half hour and you’re still wearing your scarf!” Korra countered with a raised eyebrow.

“It’s cold!”

“You’re being cold, alright! To your best friend! Now show it.” Korra stared with her eyes wide open and a wild grin playing across her lips.

"Is it that obvious?" Asami blushed as she pulled down her scarf.

"Yeah a little," Korra muttered as she gazed at the hickey left by Rox. The little love mark, the signature Rox left on Asami's skin that showed they were an item. Oh how Korra found herself wanting to do much the same, something like that to Asami... Or to Mako. Yes, totally to Mako, her brain instantly countered, trying to derail the thoughts of kissing her best friend's neck that just kind of popped out of nowhere.

“So?”

A voice cut through Korra’s staring. She’d been staring at Asami’s neck wondering what it would be like to give someone a hickey, like her boyfriend.

“What?” she asked, bringing herself back to reality. The reality in which she was dating Mako.

“Is it bad?”

“How many turtlenecks do you own?” Korra asked with a wide grin.

“Ugh, dammit.” Asami muttered, “I’m gonna have to watch out for this.”

“Because of your dad?” Korra moved back to sit down on Asami’s bed.

“Well, yeah? I mean, look at it, it’s huge!”

“Asami, it’s normal to have hickeys at our age.” Korra grumbled and leaned against the wall, hands behind her head.

“I guess…”

“Besides, I could totally do it better.” Korra mumbled, only becoming aware of the words as they left her mouth.

“What?” Asami turned to look at her with an amused expression.

“I’m just saying that if I ever actually get a chance to finish a date with my boyfriend, he’ll have much better hickeys than you do.”

“Sure you would,” Asami responded skeptically.

Korra shrugged and smiled for a moment, before her smile was replaced with a frown.

“You know, I actually don’t think we’ll ever manage to finish a date.” Korra grumbled. “I mean, he’s always running off to to work and he doesn’t even have to!”

“Yeah… I know it pisses you off,” Asami said, “But try to understand him.”

“Asami, there’s not much to understand. I get it, ok? I get it that he’s feeling shitty ‘cause they’ve been living with someone their whole lives but, isn’t it better than that place they used to be at?” Korra said, remembering one evening when Mako and Bolin showed them the orphanage they used to live at, much to Mako’s dismay.

“Of course it is but you know him better than I do, he wants to be all responsible and grown up and broody and stuff.”

“He doesn’t wanna be broody, he is broody!” Korra said with a booming laugh following. “It is kinda hot though…”

“If you’re into that kind of thing,” Asami shot back. “But at least you two can do all the PDA in public you want…”

Korra dropped her gaze, once again feeling bad for Asami. She deserves all the things her and Mako get to do. More even. “I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“Still… You want me to try and talk some sense into Rox for you? Want me to beat her up for you?”

“I appreciate the thought, bestie,” Asami said, lightly punching Korra’s arm before she wrapped her arms around her and pulled her in a slightly awkward, side hug, “But there’s not much you or I or anyone can do. I get it, she’s scared and that’s ok, I guess.”

“What’s there to be scared of? Pissing everyone off that she gets to date Asami Fucking Sato and they don’t?”

“That’s not it and you know it,” Asami turned towards Korra with her hands on her hips. “She’s afraid that if she… if we… come out we’ll be hated, rejected, bullied.”

“Well I’m pretty sure I could never hate you or reject you, and if anyone bullies you I’ll beat the shit out of them,” Korra said as she smacked her clenched fist into her other hand. “Find me one person who would reject you for being you and I’ll make them see that they’re wrong and they actually love you.”

“I don’t know, Korra… I think I just have to show her that not everyone or at least not the people that matter, would mind.” Asami leaned back against the wall, her shoulder brushing against Korra’s.

“I think she has to understand that, yeah. And if not, I’m totally gonna beat her up.”

“Korra, seriously,” Asami chuckled, smacking Korra’s arm once more, “You don’t need to beat anyone up. Yet.”

“Fine, if you say so.”

“You know, I think I have an idea how to show her everything will be alright.” Asami perked up “I’m gonna tell my dad.” Asami giggled, “That’s the easiest and fastest way to show her that it’s gonna be alright!”

Korra’s face lit up, “Well that’s great! I’m so proud of you.” She said, ruffling Asami’s hair and grinning when she received a glare. “But…”

“But what?” Asami asked, a sudden anxiety grabbing her heart and making her panic.

“I think you should probably wait until tomorrow,” Korra said pointing at the clock that said 1am. “I think he’d be a little pissed being woken up now.”

“Oh… yeah… right, I didn’t mean like right now. Some time in the near future.”

“I’m just saying,” Korra yawned.

“You’re right,” Asami said mirroring Korra’s yawn. “I think it’ll probably go better if I get some sleep too.”

“So basically what I’ve gotten out of this is: relationships are hard, and dumb,” Korra said as she flopped onto Asami’s bed bouncing a couple of times.

“Scoot over,” the girl whose bed it was said as she shoved Korra so she could slide under the blankets. “Yeah relationships are dumb.”

Korra dove under the covers and worked her way over to Asami.

“Come here,” Asami said as she wrapped her arms around Korra. “You’re so warm all the time.”

“You just wish you could sleep with me all the time because of how hot I am.”

“That’s very true,” Asami said. “You could be my own personal heater.”

Korra looked Asami right in the eyes and said, “You know, this whole nonsense would be so much easier if we were dating. You already know me so well.”

All Korra got in reply was a warm, silent hum and Asami’s hold around her tightened ever so slightly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ellow, Kitty here! Hope you enjoyed this one and all the lovely foreshadowing we've thrown at you! Oh and all the lovely Korrasami teasers :D


	14. End of Discussions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asami was going to tell her dad. She really was. But life... life was busy, and she's been putting it off for almost an entire year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who is ready for some angst? The answer better be you, because the Angst Train is here and we're going express.

Asami was planning on telling her dad the next day, but Korra was there and Mako and Bolin were around and Korra was still being chilly to Mako and it just didn't seem like the right time.

She was going to tell him the next weekend but things started getting busy. Tests, and midterms, and Korra needing support in her ongoing deteriorating relationship. She didn’t want to add to her already high stress levels. And besides, things were fine for now.

And for the rest of the term she kept pushing back the “I’m going to tell my dad” moment. It seemed like every week, every weekend had something else going on. A test here, another test there, a paper, a sporting event to cheer on her friends at, Korra’s increasingly frequent “I don’t think I like Mako anymore” phases that she felt obligated to talk her out of, stolen moments with Rox in quiet, shadowy basements or backyards or alleyways.

Then there was the summer, wild and warm, and there was no reason she had to tell Hiroshi. She got to see Rox everyday while their parents were at work and somehow she forgot about the whole thing. Maybe it was the number of times she got to kiss Rox over the summer. Or maybe it was the fact that they got to do just a little bit more, a few times. Then there was the time where Rox and Asami were sure they were alone and just after they crossed that threshold of "never having gone this far" they heard someone in the house calling for Asami. It was only Korra but the fear was real enough to spook Rox into not trying anything for a while. Which briefly caused the idea to enter into Asami’s mind, but she was too busy being mortified at being caught struggling to put her shirt on by none other than Korra.

Korra, meanwhile was going through her own troubles. For one she just caught Asami topless, or mostly topless and the image was seared into her brain. Her best friend topless! The sight haunted her, and not entirely in bad ways.

The real trouble was with Mako, who was only scheduled for five days a week. Which left 48 hours to see him, 32 if she let him sleep, 8 if she really wanted him to have time to himself, to eat, shower and such.

And yet he was always taking more shifts, working more hours. Everytime he canceled a date or left early Korra would yell that there were labour laws against this sort of thing, but it never did any good.

With each passing day of their relationship, Korra felt more and more alone, as if the whole relationship thing was supposed to be just her with herself, be it dates or everything else that came with a relationship. Even Rox and Asami, who kept their relationship so very secret, managed to see each other more often.

Mako’s excuses were getting old and as much as Korra understood, she couldn’t make herself accept it. It wasn’t supposed to be like that, she wasn’t supposed to feel sad whenever she’d meet him because she knew he’d leave early or worse, call her and say he can’t show at all. She knew she wasn’t supposed to feel alone because the books always said love was a warmth and not pain in one’s chest. More and more, Korra became aware things just weren’t working out.

At least Asami was always there to lean on, to cry on.

And Asami, she was always there.

Every time Korra fought with Mako (which was getting more and more frequent as the summer wore on) she’d drop everything to come comfort her. Which more often than not meant that she was ditching makeouts with Rox.

Mako couldn’t even take a day off from work and Asami would ditch her girlfriend to be with Korra if she texted, “We fought again :(“.

Asami felt guilty having Rox to kiss every day during the summer, while Korra fought to get time with her boyfriend. She felt even more guilty when she told Korra that this wasn’t how relationships were supposed to go. Korra shouldn’t have to fight with Mako to get time with him. He should want to make time to see her. Maybe she should give thought to breaking up with him.

All the while she could call up Rox and kiss her at almost any time.

Which reminded her that she should tell her dad. But the summer was too busy with Rox kisses and Korra comforts.

Sooner than any of them wanted, summer came to an end. Strangely enough, so did Korra and Mako’s relationship.

For Mako, it was all cold and bitter, with a lot of ‘I’m sorry if I was a shit boyfriend, I didn’t mean to’, and for Korra… For Korra it was nothing of the sorts. Korra was all over the place. Shouting and waving her hands around, forcing back the tears that were begging to pour out and cursing, spewing the words she wasn’t even aware she knew. Somehow all the feelings, all the pent up sadness and solitude she’d been keeping inside for months at some point turned into anger and rage. What started off as a talk, an intro into a smooth, slow mutual breakup turned into Korra’s monologue and ended with Mako leaving right in the middle of it, because as usual, he had a shift.

Korra spent the next half hour slumped over one of the tables in the back, crying her heart out, waiting for Asami to come pick her up. She couldn’t remember a time she cried so hard, nor so long. By the time she stopped crying the staff came by and brought a box of pizza with a note ‘You might not have a boyfriend anymore, but at least you have pizza. And no one can be really sad when they have pizza. Right? <3 Carl” She laughed when she saw it and gave the guy a sad smile on her way out, but her smile was immediately replaced with a frown and tears came spilling right back down her cheeks when she saw Asami standing outside with her arms wide open and those warm, green eyes of hers looking at her with so much sadness and without a hint of judgment, just warmth. When Asami hugged her, she could feel her shoulders shaking and within minutes, they were both laughing.

“I got pizza ‘cause I cried for half hour.” Korra mumbled through choked laughter.

“I hope it’s not anchovy.” Asami said back, tightening her hold around Korra’s shoulders.

“Oh shut it.” Korra mumbled again. She grabbed a piece of the pizza (it was pepperoni) and tried to push it in Asami’s mouth. “Eat it!”

“No!” Asami said as she tried to move her mouth out of the way. “I’ve got to take you back to your place so we can eat this and you can talk all the shit about sharkbrows you want.”

The rest of that weekend, and the week before school weighed heavily on Asami. The time to tell her father about her, about her relationship with Rox was fast approaching again. But with Korra in a delicate state, and the start of school instantly doubling Asami’s stress levels (and cutting down her time alone with Rox) the talk was delayed once again.

But, by the end of sophomore year, Asami found herself surrounded with too much, with a wall behind her back. Moments with Rox became a rarity with the older girl’s longer training hours and almost every weekend spent visiting a different college. Asami felt as if she was losing their connection and Rox seemed to be the furthest from her ever since they started dating. So the time to tell her dad came almost instantly. She needed the few hours she felt like she had with Rox to be able to spend with her. In public, in her house, wherever. And she couldn’t spend as much time as she wanted with her girlfriend unless she told her dad. Who would be fine with it. Right?

Finally, she’d found the time.

It was spring, approaching the end of the year but enough time between midterms and finals to not really be all that stressful. Korra had gotten over her “I broke up with Mako and even though I wanted to it still hurt” phase, and most importantly Roxana had just picked a college to attend.

She was going to the local college. Well local in that it was a half hour drive away. And for a high school kid that might as well have been in another state.

Granted, Rox still had to get through the admissions process and everything, but it was the one her heart was set on. And Asami was cursing their secret relationship as well as Rox’s earlier birthday.

But she was going to do it. The day was here.

It was a lazy cool Saturday morning.

Asami woke up more nervous than usual but considering her plans for the day, it was, in fact, no surprise that she found herself pacing around the room. And it took her much longer to get all cleaned up and dressed so by the time breakfast was served, Asami was running late. Not a good start.

“Ah, Asami, I see you’ve decided to join me.” Hiroshi said as he raised his head from the newspaper and offered a smile which she returned.

“Sorry dad, I guess I slept in. The boys aren’t joining us?”

“I think Mako’s gone to work and Bolin’s probably sleeping still,” Hiroshi said.

“Typical.” Asami mumbled to herself, suddenly struck with the realization that’s exactly how Korra would react. She quickly shook the thought away, reached for the cutlery but ended up dropping the knife. She picked it up and looked over to meet her father’s questioning gaze, a frown forming on her face. “What?”

“You look fidgety, is everything alright?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Asami countered.

“I’m simply asking, Asami, no need to get defensive with me.”

Asami mentally berated herself and set her tableware away.

“Actually, dad, I… I want to talk to you about something.” She finally let the words out and for a moment, if only a fleeting one, she felt lighter.

“What is it, sweetie?” Hiroshi spoke softly and put his newspaper on the table. “School trouble? Someone giving you a hard time?”

“No, nothing like that,” Asami said, crossing her legs and pulling her hands to her armrests, “I want to tell you something important because I think you should know.”

Hiroshi raised a brow and she continued.

“I… I don’t really know how to go about this but it’s, you know, nothing big or spectacular, it’s just something that I’ve kind of discovered about myself and you’re the only family I have and I love you so much-”

“I love you too, sweetie,” Hiroshi interrupted and Asami could swear she felt a sudden stab of guilt in her chest.

“I know, dad. I just, that’s why I want you to know, because you’re a great dad and this means a lot to me, it’s part of me and I need to tell you.”

“Asami, sweetheart, you know you can tell me anything and everything,” He said, “Come on now, you’re scaring me.” His smile was gentle, if a little nervous, and for a second Asami felt that it would be ok to tell her dad everything. He’d understand. He’s her dad.

“Well, dad, you know ho-”

“Asami, are you pregnant?” The tone of his voice shifted for a moment, sounding sharper than it did moments ago.

Asami looked up from her fidgety hands almost with the speed of light and all but screamed, “No! God, seriously dad, no!”

“Oh. Okay. I mean, sweetie, that would be okay. I mean, it happens and I want you to know that I’m not supporting teenage pregnancy and you should always use protec-”

“Daaaaad! I’m not pregnant!” she said loudly, before taking a breath and continuing, “because I’m dating a girl!”

“You’re what?”

“I’m dating a girl, dad, and I want you to know that I’m… I’m bisexual.”

And there it was. She finally said it, she’d let the words out and this time, relief came washing over her like a tidal wave. She felt lighter, happier. more free than ever before and with her newfound courage, Asami was certain things would finally fall into place with her and Rox and soon she’d put all this behind her.

The joy, however, lasted only for a few brief moments, right up to the point when her father’s voice broke the silence of the room.

“No. You’re not.”

“Dad? I’m pretty sure I-”

“No. End of discussion.”

Did he hear her wrong? Was she still dreaming? Did she accidentally say the wrong thing? What just happened.

A tense silence descended upon the two of them, like a storm rolling in, darkening a bright, clear day.

“I like boys and girls, dad,” she said, trying to make her voice stop shaking. Maybe if she said it more simply he’d understand. Maybe he didn’t know what bisexual was. This should work, right?

“No, Asami, you do not. No daughter of mine, no Sato can be… will be such a, a disgrace.” Hiroshi continued, his voice even and his gaze fixed straight ahead, never once meeting Asami’s.

“But dad, it’s not a dis-”

“People like that are monsters, Asami. And you are not a monster.”

“Dad…” Asami pleaded, her voice thick with emotion and tears just begging to pour out.

“I said no discussion. What…” He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath, “What would your mother think of this? How do you think those horrible, disgusting words of yours would make her feel?”

“Mom wou-”

“Your mother would be disgusted, Asami.”

Asami tried to say something, but the tears were choking back any words.

“Now, stop crying, clean yourself up, and you can join me for breakfast when you are done being a stupid little girl.”

Asami turned on her heel and ran out of the kitchen, out of the house, her hands already on her phone calling someone to come pick her up, to rescue her from this disaster.

 

* * *

 

Asami’d been sobbing in her arms for over an hour now. And her parents were due home at any moment and she wasn’t entirely sure how’d they react or what she was allowed to tell them.

“I’m a monster,” she sobbed again, despite every evidence to the contrary. “My dad hates me, my mom would hate me. Everybody hates me. This was such a bad idea. I’m abnormal! I’m a freak!”

“Asami. You’re not a monster. You’re amazing. No one hates you. I don’t hate you. I love you, you’re the best.”

“I need fucking therapy or something.”

“Asami listen to me,” she said grabbing her chin and bringing those sad green eyes up to look her in the face. “No. Whoever said that is fucking wrong. You’re beautiful and amazing and perfect exactly the way you are. You don’t have to change anything about yourself. You’re strong and brilliant and I love you so much.”

This only brought out a fresh batch of sobs from Asami as she hugged even tighter while forcing out, “I love you too Korra. You’re the best friend I could ever imagine.”

The sound of the front door opening and closing signalled the return of Korra’s parents and her dad shouting ‘Korra, we’re home’ was not the best thing to come in that moment. Korra straightened in her seat and cupped Asami’s cheeks once more, wiped away her tears just moments before a knock on her door startled them both.

“Sweetie, you in there?” Came her mother’s voice.

“Yeah, Asami’s here and we’re just talking about school stuff and… uh, stuff!”

“It’s ok, Korra,” Asami mumbled, wiping away her tears that just wouldn’t seem to stop. “Hi Mrs. Nizhoni!” Asami managed to yell, though a sob escaped her.

“Is someone crying up here?” Tonraq called. “Cause if it’s that Mako kid’s fault, I’ll kick his butt.” Both girls could hear Tonraq’s heavy footsteps approaching the room. Soon a knock followed, “Everything alright in there, Korra?”

“Mom, dad, can you give us some privacy, please, Asami’s had a bad day and I don’t think she wants to cry in front of my parents.”  Asami swatted at her arm and Korra shrugged and whispered, “What, what do you want me to tell them?”

Asami took a deep breath before she pushed herself off the bed and moved to open the door. “Hi.” She simply mumbled, glancing at both of them.

“Oh, Asami, sweetie, what’s wrong?” Senna quickly pulled her in a hug and Tonraq swiftly followed, wrapping his arms around them both.

Senna looked to Korra over Asami’s shoulder but all she got in return was a shrug.

“Who does Korra have to beat up?” Tonraq finally spoke again, letting go of the two.

“N-Nobody,” Asami stuttered, “I just, can I stay here tonight?” She looked at Senna then met Tonraq’s gaze.

“Asami did something happen with your father, did you have a fight?” Senna asked.

“Mom, I think she’s had enough for toda-” Korra started but Asami’s voice cut her off.

If she was taking chances and making risky decisions today, at least she’d follow through and tell everyone. It couldn’t possibly get worse.

“It’s ok, Korra,” Asami glanced at her best friend for a moment before turning back to Korra’s parents, “I told my dad I like boys and girls and I… I really don’t want to go back home tonight.” She spoke quietly, with another sob escaping her with the last word.

“Oh sweetie!” Before she knew it, Asami was once again wrapped in a tight, warm embrace, with both Senna and Tonraq’s arms around her.

“Y-You don’t think I’m a monster?” She croaked out.

“Asami, we couldn’t possibly think that of you or anyone that feels the way you do about who you like.” Tonraq spoke in a soft, gentle voice.

“Really?” Asami looked up from Senna’s shoulder and into his eyes.

“Yes, really.” They both said in unison.

For the first time in what felt like weeks, Asami smiled underneath her tears. She fully embraced the hug Korra’s parents were giving her and she suddenly felt her best friend join by wrapping her arms around Asami. And as she looked down as her pretty, blue eyed friend, Asami realized that her best friend was truly the best person she’s ever met and she’d do just about anything to be with her for the rest of her life.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time on Friends: Rox finds out how it went.
> 
> So did we do good with Asami's coming out?


	15. For Your Own Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rox finds out Asami told Hiroshi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](http://tinypic.com?ref=2hyctog)  
>  Drink up, this is gonna hurt.

Rox knew she probably wasn’t the best girlfriend in the world, but she tried as best as she was able. Her dad was… well he was her dad. He didn’t exactly seem taken with her aunt who lived out of state with her “roommate” for the last decade. So she didn’t exactly think her dad would react well if she told him.

At least Asami understood her fears. They’d had their disagreements and Asami was eager to make their relationship public, for all the right reasons, but somehow things remained the way they were and they were both happy. She’d agreed to keep their relationship a secret, at least for now. Once they moved out, went to college, maybe they could do the dating thing then. The proper dating thing.

College, however, was a whole other issue. She was going to college in the fall. Asami would still be in high school, and then it would be another whole year before they could be together again. Assuming Asami even went to the same college, and let’s be honest, she could go to any college in the world she wanted to. She was smart enough to do it.

Rox was just afraid of the ticking clock that seemed to be hovering over their relationship. It was counting down to September, when Rox would be in college and Asami would still be in high school.

It was only like a year away, and shit, that wasn’t enough time and yet it was too much time. Not enough to show her just how much she cared - in all honesty, Rox was crazy about her - and way too much to handle with their whole relationship being so frail and veiled in secrecy, which weighed too much on both of them.

She was eighteen now, was that too soon to be in love with someone?

How would she know for sure? Was love that feeling that every time she saw Asami she got all tingly and happy and wanted to all sorts of things with her? Was it enough that Rox spent hours upon hours trying to work up the courage to tell her dad, tell everyone that she was dating Asami. She wanted to tattoo it on her chest, write it on the sky, she wanted to be with Asami at every opportunity.

It would only be a year apart. Rox could catch trains back to see Asami. It would be like three hours of commuting every weekend, but she was worth it. Asami was worth every second.

And if Asami went to school across the country, Rox was sure there’d be a transfer system or something. She could go to a local school nearby then.

Yeah Asami was totally worth it, worth all the trouble, worth telling her dad.

She’ll do it. Rox will tell Asami that she loves her. And hopefully Asami will be there to hold her hand when she tells her dad. While Asami Sato was worth it, but Rox couldn’t do it alone. She’d need all the support she could get, and then there was the whole timing thing.

For a reason unknown to Rox, Asami seemed to be gone for the week. Or, well, she was at school but somehow she always managed to slip away just when Rox wanted to talk to her. Or just see her. Their schedules weren’t exactly matching, but Rox knew there were at least five minutes of each day when she was supposed to see her, and now Asami was nowhere to be found and the whole time Rox felt she’d done something wrong.

Shit, she’d done something wrong, hadn’t she? Rox spent every second Asami avoided her racking her brain trying to figure out what it was. God, how could she have screwed it up this badly just when she was about to do something really, terribly important? And really, what the hell did she do wrong?

Asami didn’t even attempt to text her or call her at all on Friday. Which was surprising. Even though Rox and Korra had practice Asami was either there in the bleachers doing homework, or if she was off studying, she was texting the both of them. Rox didn’t know what Asami sent to Korra, but she always got little heart signs and “thinking of you” type messages or “I bet you look really hot in your practice gear all dirty and sweaty wish I could be there to see it ;)” But today? Nothing. Not a word from her.

When she tried talking to Korra about it, Rox found herself at yet another wall. Asami’s best friend was never too nice to her, but they’d become much better friends, considering the rough start of their friendship. However, when Rox tried asking Korra if she knew what was up with Asami, Korra simply muffled some sort of excuse and hurried into the showers then vanished before Rox could confront her again. Weird.

Finally she reached in her locker and pulled out her phone.

“Can I talk to you?” she texted. Then immediately followed it up with ,”i don’t want you to be mad at me”

She could practically hear Asami’s exasperated sigh.

“yeah”

Rox couldn’t help but mutter “thank god” to herself as she replied.

That night she drove by Asami’s house, only to find her already waiting out front. Right away Rox knew that she was upset about something. Once again, Rox assumed it was because of something she did.

“Hey,” Rox said as she got out of the car. “First off, let me say I’m sorry for whatever it was that I did.”

“It’s nothing you did,” Asami said, she couldn’t bear to look Rox in the eye. “It’s what I did.”

Rox looked up, her eyes wide as she spoke, “What you d-did?” She glanced away for a moment, scared what Asami’s words might mean. “You didn’t… did you cheat?”

For the first time Asami’s eyes met Rox’s. “What? Did I… did I what?”

“Well did you? ‘Cause Korra’s been acting all weird around me and now you’re saying it’s something you did and I just-”

“You think I’d… Wow Rox.” Asami kept her eyes on Rox’s, staring incredulously, as if the words Rox spoke were literally searing through her heart.

“I don’t but you’re making it sound like that!” Rox pleaded, searching her eyes. Asami and Korra always had something that Asami and her just didn’t.

“Korra and I are just friends! We didn’t do anything together! That’s not what this is about.”

Rox felt a deep emptiness in her gut. “Then what is it?”

Asami braced herself and entwined their fingers together. “You know how I said a while ago that telling someone would make it easier?”

“Yeah, what of it?” Rox stared at their joined hands.

“I- I told my dad.” Asami finally said and the second the words left her mouth, Rox squeezed her hands almost painfully. “He didn’t take it so well.”

The world beneath her feet utterly collapsed. Everything around Rox completely dissolved around her. The ground was gone.  She couldn’t bear to look at Asami. She couldn’t glance up and meet her eyes because deep down she knew what those words meant. She knew exactly what her father had told her and she knew what this all meant. What this conversation was inevitably leading to.

“What did he say?” Rox mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper.

“H- He said I- I’m not normal. He said I’m a monster, Rox. Am I a monster?”

“No, you’re not. We just… It’s not the right time.” Rox’s voice was as rigid as ever, dull and lifeless as she continued holding Asami’s hands and kept her gaze low.

“What do you mean?” Asami pulled one of her hands out of Rox’s clammy grasp, reaching up to cup her cheek, desperately trying to get her to look at her.

“They, he, they don’t understand,” Rox mumbled, only just feeling the way her shoulders started shaking. “I get it now.”

Asami brushed her thumb over Rox’s cheek, still waiting for a look, anything to signify Rox was there, in that moment. “Rox?”

“I get it now,” Rox said as she finally looked up to meet Asami’s eyes with tears brimming in her own. “It’s not the right time, Asami.”

“Not the right time for what?” Asami whispered, too choked up to produce a sound.

“For us.” Rox said, rushing the words out as fast as she could, trying to push the pain out with them. “Maybe la-”

“No, Rox, you don’t mean that.” Asami let go of her other hand and brought it to Rox’s cheek, pulling her closer, “You’re just scared, and I get it, I am too but, but we can do this, ok? We can, we’ll think of something!”

Rox pulled away from her grasp and glanced to the side, averting her gaze. Her voice wasn’t her usual strong, calming low rumble, it was something Asami had never heard before. It was small and sad, broken and docile, as if someone was telling her to say those words, as if Rox that was in front of her wasn’t her Rox, wasn’t the strong, rebellious, cocky girl she’d fallen for.

“I’m sorry Asami, I really am.” Rox said as she took another step back, afraid that if she didn’t make enough distance between them, she’d fall back into Asami’s touch and back into her warmth. As much as she wanted to fall back into their shared reverie, Rox knew she had to be the one to cut the strings and put an end to it, for now. Maybe some time in the future, if they meet again, they’d be able to start again, to try and make it work, but now they were still kids and time was not on their side. Nor were the people they needed most.

“What are you saying?” Asami reached out but as Rox took another step back, she hesitated and hugged herself, feeling the prickle of tears already stinging and threatening to fall down.

“I’m saying it’s over,” Rox muttered, her voice ever so slightly sharper. She tried to sound stronger, tried sounding as if she was sure of this, sure of her decision and her words, so she threw all she had left in those words, hoping they’d do the trick. Instead it sounded hollow and broken.

“No, Rox, you don’t mean th-”

“I mean it, Asami,” This time her voice carried only the emptiness with it, “We’re over. We… we need time... distance… We need to get out of here... away from these people before we can do this. I can’t. I can’t... with you like this anymore.”

Now Asami was crying. “You can’t what?”

“You were right, back then. I can’t do the secrets,” Rox said, her hands wrapped around her middle as she tried to comfort herself. “We can’t do this in public. We’ll be destroyed. You’ll be destroyed. I can’t do that to you. I won’t do that to you.”

“You… you’re breaking up with me?” Asami whispered, staring at her with her tears all but streaming down her flushed cheeks.

“I’m… I’m putting us on hold.” Rox said, meeting her eyes. “On hold until we can make this work, with or without the support of others.”

“We can do it now, if you’d only try…”

“I’m sorry, Asami, I just… I can’t, I won’t risk you losing everything. I’m scared and I- I know… I… It doesn’t have to be permanent. Just… Just until we move out. Till we get out of this stupid place. Like two years. Can you wait for two years?”

“Rox... “

“Just… can you wait for me? I love you Asami. I just need you to wait.”

“You… you can’t do that. You can’t break up with me in one breath and then tell me you love me in the next!” Asami yelled. “How dare you!”

“Asami… please,” Rox pleaded. She was desperately trying to hold on to anything. Anything at all. She loved Asami, she really did. But she knew she had to let her go. “Please. Just can you wait for me? For just a little bit?”

Asami swallowed, trying to find her voice. “No. I can’t. I won’t wait for you. Not when I have you now.”

“But we can’t keep going like this. This isn’t what you wanted. Please, I don’t want to do this, but I am doing this. For you!”

“No you’re not! You’re doing this for yourself!” Asami yelled as she ran passed Rox and off into the night.

Rox called out to her, but she was gone. She knew she should have gone after her. Rox should have done any number of things. But she didn’t. She’d gotten what she wanted in a way, just not how she would have liked to have gotten it.

Asami cried into Korra’s arms for hours.

This was even worse than last week with Hiroshi. But Korra stayed with her for it all. She was comforting, she said all the right things. Korra’s parents helped in their own way. Tonraq said nothing, Senna made hot chocolate.

Eventually Asami just fell asleep, too exhausted from crying and just emotionally drained.

She slept for almost twelve hours, and when she woke up she found Korra had gone. She was out to soccer practice.

It was about five seconds into Asami’s crying that Korra vowed to kick the shit out of Rox.

The girl glared at the tired looking Rox for the entirety of the practice. The second the practice was over, and the coaches left the field, Korra threw her bag to the ground and ran over to Rox.

“Korra-” she tried to say, but she was cut off by a fist punching her in the face.

“Shut the fuck up,” Korra said. She shoved Rox hard, pushing her to the ground. “The fuck is wrong with you!”

The rest of the team was watching them, but Korra didn’t care.

Rox suddenly felt incredibly angry. She sprung up off the ground and tackled Korra.

“It’s not my fault!” Rox said as she found herself on top of Korra, trying to pin her to the ground.

Korra snarled and punched Rox in the face again as she said, “Of course it’s your fucking fault.”

Rox fell to the ground, feeling blood pouring out of her nose and her lip.

Korra stood up and over the older girl.

“God. I can’t believe you. I used to fucking look up to you. And now look at you.”

The coach had noticed something going on and started running back to the field.

“What’s going on?” she yelled.

“Nothing,” Korra said as she turned to walk around.

“I deserved it,” Rox muttered quietly as she picked herself up off the ground and walked off the field like someone leaving a funeral.

She knew what she did had to be done and for the time being, it was the only right thing to do. It didn’t mean anything that she felt absolutely horrible about doing it. Her feelings didn’t matter. Rox did this for Asami. She did this to keep her from getting torn apart when she was gone in college. Hopefully, one day she’d understand that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blame Kitty for making it sad, blame me for making it excruciating.  
> >:D


	16. Home is Who the Heart is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time heals all wounds, even Asami knows and feels that. Also, it's time to check out some colleges, that'll surely make it all better, right?

When Korra came walking down the hallway with her hand wrapped up in ice and a bandage pulled around it, Asami shook off her post-breakup depression and ran towards her faster than she thought she ever could.

“Oh my god Korra, what happened?” She mumbled as she took Korra’s hand into hers, carefully brushing her fingers over it, examining it closer as she pushed the ice pack away and noticed the bruises already forming on Korra’s knuckles.

Korra shrugged and pulled her hand away slowly, uttering something not even loud enough for Asami, who was right there in her space, to hear.

“What?” Asami asked, reaching out again but pulling her hand back when Korra averted her gaze.

“I had some stuff to take care of,” Korra muttered, “A score to even out.”

“What did you do?” Asami crossed her arms and stared at her shorted friend.

“I told you,” Korra looked at her, eyes still filled with anger, “I had a score to even out and someone’s honour to defend.” At the last words she offered her famous lopsided grin.

Asami just looked at Korra with that little grin, those eyes filled with concerned masking pain. In the moment, and only for that moment, Asami felt the intense desire to kiss that stupid, adorable grin. And not in a chaste, friendly way - in a “I think I actually love you a little” way.

Instead what she said was, “You don’t have to do that for me.”

Korra shrugged once more, pulling the bandage back over it, “I know I don’t but I want to. You’re Asami, my best friend. I’d always do something like that for you.”

Just as fast as the whole ‘I want to kiss you’ moment came, as fast it went away, replaced by a sudden pang of pain located somewhere in Asami’s chest. It unfamiliar and unexpected and sprung on her when the words ‘my best friend’ came out of Korra’s mouth. Asami smiled, sheepishly, and murmured a silent, “Thank you,” turned around on her heels and shoved her hands in the pockets of her jacket, staring ahead.

“You wanna get some pizza?” Korra mumbled as they walked out the school.

“Sure.”

Asami stayed with Korra for a while. Tonraq and Senna didn’t mind at all, although they did have to have a long talking to Korra about not fighting people, no matter how much they might deserve it.

The whole comforting the sad and depressed Asami didn’t really come easy to Korra, she wasn’t entirely sure what to do. So she just copied what Asami did for her in the days following her own break up with Mako. Lots of holding her while she cried, telling her that she was worthy of so much more that idiot Rox (and her fucking asshole of a dad, but Korra kept that quietly to herself), and of course lots of comfort food and bad movies.

Asami’s healing process wound up being much shorter than Korra’s. Maybe it was because Rox was starting to be replaced as the romantic ideal in Asami’s mind, maybe it was because junior year was upon them and so was standardized tests and picking colleges.

They still saw Rox every now and again. Well Korra had soccer with her, and they went to state together, so there was a polite coolness to their relationship now.

At the various parties and get togethers they’d all attend Asami would politely talk with Rox but never alone and never for any real length of time. Both Korra and her thought it was for the better, for both Rox and Asami. The more distance there was between, the faster they’d both forget.

But Rox knew that for her, there was no forgetting Asami.

She fucked it up, and she was paying for it. It would be easier once she’d moved out. Once she went to college, and got out of this place where Asami seemed to show up whenever she thought she’d managed to forget about her just a little bit. At least there would be no Asami, perhaps a little less guilt and a chance to start again. Hopefully one day Asami would find it in her to accept her apology and let her back in, even if it might take a long time.

Somewhere along the way, with consoling her best friend and frowning each time she saw Rox, Korra found herself talking to Mako again and for the first time in a long time, it felt okay. They were still awkward, but not as awkward as before and she’d actually forgiven him for being the way he was and they could start building their friendship again. Maybe they just worked better as friends.

Every time he bailed out hanging out to go work Korra didn’t mind as much. That just meant she got to have some more Asami time (Bolin would invariably off with girlfriend of the week). And more time with Asami was something Korra relished at every opportunity.

Especially since it seemed like their time together might be coming to a close.

“So the university has invited me to come down for a personal tour next week,” Asami said as the pair walked together at the end of class.

Korra was enjoying what seemed to be the last warm day of autumn, and the colors of the changing leaves.

“Aw that’s awesome!” Bolin said. “You’re like some superstar academic celebrity!”

“Please Bolin,” Asami joked as she flipped her hair in that exact way that made Korra’s stomach clench, “I’m more than just brains.”

“Of course Asami, you are definitely the most beautiful girl in the school,” Mako said.

“Hey!” Korra yelled.

“I said girl,” Mako snarked back at Korra. “If I said beautiful warrior woman, you’d take the cake.”

“Are you saying I couldn’t kill you Mako?” Asami asked.

“Uh…” he mumbled before pulling out his phone and looking at the caller ID.

“Wait for it!” Korra yelled.

“Yeah, of course” Mako said, completely unaware that behind his back his friends were pantomiming the entire conversation from memory. “I can be there in a half hour.”

Then all at once they said in unison, “Yeah, thanks, bye.” as Mako finished his phone call the exact same way he always did.

“Well... “ he said turning to look at his friends.

“Go,” Korra said.

“Make that money,” Asami added.

“Good, because I can’t think of a better way out of this conversation, and this gives me an excuse to politely run away. Ladies. Bo.”

“So you’re going to visit schools at the same time as I’m going to that soccer recruiting weekend?” Korra asked.

“Yeah,” Asami said. “Where are you going again?”

“Sorry, girls, I just spotted Ginger, I gotta run,” Bolin said as he sprinted off. “GINGER!”

Korra rolled her eyes and said, “I’m going out of state to Lawrence. They’ve got a great soccer program. And the coach wants to see me play. If it all goes well and my ACT scores aren’t too bad, then they could be offering me a scholarship to play for four years!”

“That’s so exciting!” Asami said. “How far away is it?”

Korra looked down and kicked a rock before mumbling something.

“How far?” she asked again, nervous.

“Uh… it’s 312 miles from here.”

“That’s far…”

“Yeah…” Korra said. “So I’m not excited for the ACT. Are you?”

Thankful for the change in subject Asami continued, “Not even a little. You think we should do some more joint study session so we can get prepped for it?”

“That’d be the best.”

They both knew there was a very real possibility of them not going to the same college, but they both didn’t want to think about it.

Instead, they ignored the looming problem that wouldn’t hit them for a while yet.

 

* * *

 

 

Two weeks later it was an awkward goodbye that Friday. The girls had been apart for longer periods of time before, vacations and such, but for some reason this felt like the last time they were going to see each other.

Or at least that was how Asami felt, she couldn't really be sure how Korra felt. But she held on to that last hug goodbye for perhaps too long, because the next thing Asami knew Korra was whispering softly in her ear, "you're the greatest friend I've ever had. I promise I'm coming back to you."

And Asami believed her.

The next two days she spent being wowed at physics labs and chemistry classes and metalworking shops and engineering bays. This school was nuts. It had everything she wanted and more.

She really felt like this was the school she belong at. It's just a shame Korra wouldn't be going here.

Korra, meanwhile was working her ass off at her college trying to impress the coach and her assistants. She loved the campus, it was open and the buildings were old and she felt like she'd been here before.

At the end of the most exhausting two days Korra has had in recent memory all she got from the surly coach was a "pretty ok". Which according to some of the other girls who knew her longer than Korra said that was some of the highest praise to ever come out of Lin Beifong. So Korra felt pretty good about her chances at her scholarship.

When they got back Sunday evening Tonraq didn't even question it when Korra jumped out of the car.

"Oh just go call Asami already," he said as he stretched his stuff legs from the three and a half hour drive.

45 minutes later Asami was in Korra's bedroom and they were excitedly swapping stories of their colleges. Asami nerded out for all of her science. Korra went on and on about the facilities and the coach and the team she'd hope to play for.

"You know when you go to a place and you just feel like you've been there before?" Korra asked. "Like you belong there because this place was made for you, it's almost like it welcomes you home with the air and the ground and the heat from the sun. Everything just seems better there?"

Asami nodded.

"That's what Lawrence was like for me."

"Yeah, same for me," Asami lied. She liked her college a lot. It was one of the best engineering colleges in the country and Asami really wanted to go there, she really wanted that college to be the place where she’d belong.

But when Korra described that feeling, the belonging, the only thing Asami could think of in that moment was her, the girl before her and her warm, comforting arms, her gentle eyes and reassuring words. Asami thought of the house she spent almost more time in than in her own, the bedroom that they so often fell asleep together in and just how cozy Korra’s bed always is.

That was the place Asami’s mind wandered off to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nope, I (Kitty) was wrong, that does not make everything better. Not at all.


	17. Oh Just Make Out Alr-

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! ;D

With time, Asami learned how to store her feelings in a place far away, somewhere where they’d be safe and not in plain sight. Out of sight, out of mind, they say, and Asami certainly realized, as a young teenage girl, that proverbs had a bit of truth in them.

Rox was becoming nothing but a memory of a time gone by, someone she’d return to on the most loneliest of nights when her mind had nowhere else to wander, and Korra wasn’t there to pick her up. And somehow, Korra always seemed to be there at the right moments, so thinking of Rox was reserved for the rarest of occasions. Asami didn’t think of her with anger anymore, she didn’t even feel sadness - all she had left for Rox was resignation.

By the time Rox left school and their last year approached its end, Asami, and the rest of their close-knit crew, had a lot of others things on their minds.

Korra had long since been accepted to a college farway and they both knew it’d be hard to stay in touch, with them living so far away from each other and only being able to see one another god-knows-when. But they were best friends and they had each other’s emails, phone numbers and addresses, they’d make it work. Luckily, Mako and Bolin decided on a community college close by, so Asami felt relieved by the fact that she’d have at least two familiar faces nearby, if she ever needed anyone to talk to. They hadn’t actually grown as close as she was with Korra, but they were good friends and if their behaviour was anything to judge by, the boys always thought of Asami as their sister and that fact made her all the happier.

With no more than a week of school left, all thoughts were directed to one thing, and one thing only - the prom.

Asami had already picked a dress weeks prior and Korra could already guess why Asami needed her if she called in the last week - “This eye-shadow or that one? How about this hairstyle?” They all fit her marvelously and Korra couldn’t think of anything that would make Asami look more gorgeous than she already was. Which she told her constantly, much to Asami’s disapproval because Korra’s compliments weren’t helping, either in the picking of a shade or hairstyle or in the feelings departments.

But the enthusiasm, however, was not something Korra shared with her. She was actually reluctant to even go and had it not been for Asami’s mischievous plan, Korra would have probably stayed at home and watched a football game with Tonraq or enjoyed another Star Wars marathon by herself. Alas, Asami had other plans.

When Korra announced that she wasn’t going, Asami, of course, made a huge fuss and declared their friendship would die if she betrayed her so - vivid portrayals of true Shakespearean drama were witnessed at the time - so Korra had no other choice than to comply to whatever Asami would think up and go to the prom. Asami, however, had no idea what to do but luckily for her, Mako had a back-up plan. He’d asked her to prom a month ago, in a very awkward and his typical Mako-way, saying how he could not possibly take Korra because things were still too weird between them but he had no other female friends so Asami was the only rational choice. He even used the exact words of Captain Spock - Asami can still hear Mako’s voice echoing in her head, “It’s only logical”. Fortunately for the both of them, the only fangirl Bolin was willing to take to prom was refusing to go, so to accommodate everyone’s needs, Mako cajoled him into taking Korra instead.

And so Korra ended up going anyway, much to her dismay.

There was one last problem before Korra went to the prom: the dress.

Asami was excited to take her dress shopping. Korra, however, was less enthused.

“Do I have to wear a dress?” Korra asked with distaste clear in her voice. “I mean look at these things? They’re huge.”

“Oh come on Korra, don’t you want to look all fancy and dressed up for once in your life?” Asami asked.

“Not if I need a team of people to help me pee,” Korra muttered as she looked at a dress with enough frills that would effectively double her width and make going through doorways an issue. Not to mention the absolutely hideous neon pink coloring.

“It’s not that bad,” Asami said. “Besides it’s only one night.”

“I’m not the biggest fan of dresses in the first place,” Korra said as she wandered the store, “but these are really not selling me on the idea. Can’t I just rent a tux and a pair of aviators?”

“Come on Korra, there’s got to be something you like here. We’ve been to four stores already.”

“Do you really think I’d look good in a poofy ass pink dress?” Korra asked.

Before Asami could say something dumb like, “you’d look good in anything” her phone rang.

“Ugh, it’s my dad. I have to go,” Asami muttered. “Just promise me that you’ll get something to wear. You can’t go to the prom in sweatpants and your worn to threads Canucks jersey.”

Korra faked a pout for a second before hugging Asami goodbye. “You know my offer still stands.”

“You don’t need to beat up my dad,” Asami rolled her eyes. “I’m over it.”

“I’m not.”

The girls said their goodbyes as Asami left the store. Korra turned to the shique attendant, a tall woman made even taller by her heals.

“Look I need something to wear… ugh… to the prom. And if I put on one of those poofy dresses there’s a ninety percent chance it’ll get torn and or lit on fire before I get to the dance,” Korra responded.

“I think I can help.”

 

* * *

 

Korra couldn’t be more disinterested about the fact that prom day was actually already there. She woke up as usual, had her morning run, breakfast, walked the dog, did everything - as usual. So when Asami called her around five in the afternoon and asked her if she was ready to meet the boys at her place, Korra was, to say the least, surprised.

“Oh crap,” Korra muttered in the phone.

“Korra, you didn’t,” Asami’s voice came from the other side of the line.

“I didn’t?” Maybe Asami wasn’t as pissed off.

“Korra.” Yup, she was.

“I’m so, so, so sorry.”

“How long?” Asami’s voice was sharp and slightly stingy.

“How long what?”

“How. Long. Will. You. Take. To. Get. Ready?” Asami purposely punctuated each word, and as she did, it sent little spikey shivers down Korra’s spine.

“Uh, I need to shower and get changed and get over to your place for pictures and whatever else you have planned.”

“Oh no. You’re coming over now. You’re already a half hour late.”

“But I need to shower!”

“Korra! I have like four showers in my house. You can use one. And that way I can keep an eye on you and make sure you’re on time. I can hear you rolling your eyes.”

“No you can’t!” Korra said as she caught herself mid eye roll.

“Just get here! Now!”

“Yes ma’am,” Korra muttered as she hung up the phone. “Dad! Can you drive me to Asami’s?”

Twenty minutes later Korra was somehow in Asami’s bedroom.

Asami threw a towel at her head and said, “Alright missy, get in the shower. Right now!”

“God, when did you get so bossy?” Korra asked as she tried to peel off her sweaty shirt.

“When you screwed up my schedule!” Asami responded while she tried really hard not to look at Korra in the mirror as she fixed her make up. “You’ve got time for a ten minute shower before you have to be changed and downstairs for pictures. Chop! Chop!”

“Fine, fine!” Korra shouted as she finally managed to pull her shirt off herself and head inside the bathroom. Ten minutes later Korra was out of the bathroom and strutting around Asami’s room in her underwear. Once again making life just a little bit harder for Asami.

“Korra, you’re still late!” Asami called from the hallway, obviously slightly agitated. And in a way that had absolutely nothing to do with the time schedule.

“Almost done!” Korra called a minute later as she added the finishing touches to her bowtie and ran her hand through her hair. For a moment she contemplated putting it up, but then Asami said, “Let me see.”

Korra spun around. Asami got her first real look at her. Her hair fell in loose waves passed her shoulders, her eyes stood out against the dark blue tux. The vest and bow tie and the perfect tailoring of the suit made her look absolutely stunning.

“I was thinking about doing my hair up,” Korra said as she tried to hide her blush.

Asami was so obviously staring, it took her a few moments to both catch her breath and release the one she didn’t know she was holding. “No, keep it like this. You look really good like this.” She even reached over to tuck a strand of hair behind Korra’s ear.

“Thanks,” Korra said, looking away, “We should probably head downstairs for the pictures?”

“Yeah,” Asami said, opening the door and holding out her hand.

“I think I should be the one offering a hand for you, m’lady.” Korra murmured in the sweetest voice she could muster, followed by her signature lopsided grin. Only then did she actually take a good look at Asami and her attire for the evening and, even from the point of view of a complete fashion nobody, Asami was runway material, and for a moment, she managed to take Korra’s breath away. “Are you sure I look good enough to stand beside you? I mean, look at you..” Korra’s voice trailed off in her bafflement.

“What do you mean?”

“Well you’re… You look stunning, Asami.”

“Oh,” Asami managed, brushing away a stray lock of hair, “Well you clean up nicely so don’t worry.”

“Oh gee, thanks a lot, Sato.” Korra all but glared at her, sticking her tongue out and taking Asami’s hand, placing it on her arm. “So full of lovely words for your best friend.”

“Always,” Asami grinned and leaned over, pecking Korra’s cheek. “Let’s go, your mom and dad are waiting downstairs and my dad’s been grumpy all day already.”

“Yeah, let’s,” Korra said and let Asami walk out the door first, grinning to herself.

The second they appeared at the top of the stairs Tonraq leaned down to Senna and whispered, “Wedding pictures in six years. Right out of college.”

“Ten years. And Asami’ll be the one in the suit,” Senna whispered back.

“Ladies,” Tonraq said, “you look stunning.”

Asami’s flowing yellow dress sailed down the stairs on Korra’s arm. The long skirt was like the breeze and the top hugged her chest closely with a nice, fancy decorative strap holding the whole thing up around her shoulders.

“Lady, dad,” Korra said. “Asami here looks so much better than I do.”

“Oh shush,” Asami said as she slapped Korra’s bicep. That firm, toned bicep.

“You clean up nicely dear,” Senna said.

“Asami said the same thing!”

“Six years, I’m telling you,” Tonraq whispered.

“What was that?” Korra asked.

“I was just telling your mother that we might be able to take you out in public now,” Tonraq said with a grin.

Korra only glared at him then turned to Hiroshi, offering a polite smile, “Asami does look gorgeous, doesn’t she?”

He only nodded and raised an eyebrow, eyeing Korra from head to toe, “I see you’ve a peculiar taste in elegant dressing, Korra.”

The scolding tone of his voice served to remind Asami of something or someone, and to make her feel unpleasant. It certainly did that. She shifted on her heels and slowly released her grip on Korra’s hand, despite the other’s attempt to keep it there. But there was another part of her, a bigger part maybe, that screamed at her to grab Korra and kiss her right there on the stairwell. Partially to spite her father, the other part… well… it’s Korra, who wouldn’t want to kiss her looking that? Or just… kiss her anytime really?

Korra cleared her throat just in time to break the tension and pointed at the camera in Senna’s hands, her sheepish grin slowly widening when Tonraq reached out and pushed them closer to each other, forcing Asami to take her hand and stand as close as possible to her. It felt really good to make Hiroshi sweat like this, even if Korra wasn’t actually gay or anything.

“Smile!” Senna yelled and both of the girls grinned widely at the same time as the camera snapped.

For the next ten or so minutes they took a whole bunch of pictures. Mako and Asami together. Bolin and Korra being total goofs together. The whole gang looking very pretty in their tuxes and dress. The whole gang looking deadly serious, much too serious for a bunch of teenagers going to prom, and then the next one of them all breaking out into huge silly grins. Korra and Asami, Mako and Bolin. Korra trying, and failing, to give Asami bunny ears.

“OK, who is ready to go to prom?” Bolin shouted as soon as the pictures were done. “Let’s dance it up!”

“Bo’s right,” Asami said looking at the time. “We should go.”

The prom was.... well it was something else to everyone.

To Mako it was louder than it should have been.

To Bolin it was the second best party ever! So many people he was friends with all dressed up, and dancing to pretty good music.

To Asami it was a chance to hang out and dance and eat some pretty ok food and dance to alright music with her friends one last time before she went away to another college out of state.

To Korra… well it was more fun than she was expecting. It was a fun night with her best friend, and damn it if she wished it could go on forever.

In the end it was really just a dance that lasted longer than any of the other dances they’d been to, was catered by a decent enough catering company, and at midnight, it was over.

But the afterparty was just starting.

Ryan O’Neil was having the popular kids afterparty. And of course Asami and Bolin were both invited. He would have invited Korra but he figured that Asami was coming and so was Korra. Mako got invited as a plus one and everyone, as usual, laughed their asses off.

Once they arrived at his large, and parentless house, someone put drinks in their hands and those were some good drinks.

At some point, almost 3am, Korra was feeling great. Asami was feeling even better, she was feeling light and happy. For the first time in a long time she didn’t care. She didn’t care her dad was a complete asshole. She didn’t care that her best friend was moving away, 300 miles away from her. She didn’t care that it made her all kinds of sad and angry, and she didn’t even care that it made her think of that stupid ‘And I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more,’ song all the time. She didn’t even care that it took her five of… whatever was in this drink… to admit that she was a little lot in love with Korra.

Korra was thinking similar things. She’d only had three and boy was she feeling it.

She thought it was vodka, maybe.

Asami, well apart from feeling super happy, was intensely missing Korra at that moment. Korra was outside, needing some time apart, some fresh air, some place not so crowded and warm.

Korra needed air and Asami needed Korra in the exact same way.

Before she could comprehend what she was doing, and mind you in her inebriated state understanding her own actions was very hard, Asami found herself walking down the middle of the yard to where Korra was supposed to be. True to her word, Korra was sitting down beside a large old oak tree which didn’t exactly seem to fit the relatively modern set up of the yard but at this moment seemed kind of ethereal. Especially with Korra being as dashing as ever, her long brown hair framing that gorgeous face of hers and those lips all puckered up in her usual pout. Her eyes were closed and brows scrunched in a frown so Asami lowered herself slowly down beside her and nudged her knee gently with her own.

“Hey,” Asami murmured. Her voice barely loud enough to carry over the music that somehow still managed to reach them.

“Oh, hey,” Korra said, her lips almost instantly widening into a smile at the sight of her best friend. “What’s up?”

“Nothing, I just wanted to check if you’re ok.”

“Perfect!” Korra beamed her an even wider smile and pulled herself up a bit, resting against the tree. She moved to the side, giving Asami a bit more space. Before Asami could scoot closer though, Korra leaned forward and clumsily pulled her jacket off, placing it on the grass beside her and tapping her hand over it.

Asami eyed her for a moment and then snorted out a laugh which quickly turned into full blown laughter. “Seriously?” She managed to ask through it.

“What, I’m being a gentleman!” Korra yelled through her own laughter.

Asami continued laughing but scooted over nonetheless, sitting on top of Korra’s jacket and draping her legs over Korra’s. “Gentlelady, if I remember correctly. Or should I check?” Asami quirked an eyebrow and managed to maintain a straight face for exactly two seconds before she hiccuped and Korra burst into laughter once more.

“Serves you right!” Korra quipped.

“Shut up, idiot!” Asami grumbled, swatting Korra’s arm. She let her hand fall down to Korra’s own and left it there. _For good measure_ , the drunken part of her brain said.

Korra’s gaze shifted to Asami’s hand on her own and she felt her cheeks growing warmer a bit, if only for a moment. She quickly leaned towards Asami, nudged her shoulder and took her hand in her own. “Wanna dance?”

“What?” Asami turned to her, staring in confusion, both from the alcohol and from the question itself.

“Dance with me.” Korra said quietly, eyes set intently on Asami’s. She let her thumb graze the top of Asami’s hand and gripped it tighter in her own. She could have sworn her cheeks were burning up by now but a part of her brain kept pushing her forward and all she seemed to want to do right now was to have her arms around Asami’s waist and Asami’s head on her shoulder.

“S-sure,” Asami stuttered out the word and fumbled to her feet, tripping over her own leg in the process and almost falling over. Thankfully, Korra’s arms were already slithering their way around her and she only fell a few inches, right into them. “S-Sorry,” She stuttered out again, her face maybe just a little too close to Korra’s. She could almost feel Korra’s warm breath against her own and those piercing blue eyes boring into her soul. Asami stepped back, as wobbly as she was on her feet, and stood up straight, grinning at her best friend.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Korra murmured, staring up at her. Somehow, despite Asami wearing flats and her wearing slightly heeled shoes, Korra still managed to be the shorter one.

“Well what?” Asami stared back.

“Well start dancing!” Korra said as she started waving her hands awkwardly and tapping her right foot on the grass with her left one almost cemented into it.

“You have two left feet. And you’re tone deaf.” Asami stated, matter-of-factly, almost glaring at Korra.

Korra gasped, staring at her, mischief playing in her eyes, “I do not! What an insult!”

“Oh shut up,” Asami waved her off, folding her arms and staring at her, “We’re just gonn wait for a bett-”

She didn’t even manage to end the sentence, the song had already changed. And luckily - or sadly (depending on if she was going to listen to the drunk part of her brain or the sober part)- for Asami, it had turned from a very upbeat, moving song to something that sounded like U2. Maybe it was U2. Asami couldn’t really tell, the volume wasn’t all that high but somehow, it was loud enough to hear the exact beat. Korra, however, was bouncing on her feet.

“I love that song!” She grabbed Asami’s hands and guided them around her neck, letting her own hands fall down to her waist. She pulled her close and felt a slight puff of air escape her at the full body contact. “It’s my favourite,” She mumbled, her voice muffled by Asami’s shoulder.

“Wh- What?” Asami asked, her voice breaking with excitement.

“U2, With or Without You, my favourite song.” Korra said, “Jeez. How long have we been friends? How many times have you caught me singing this song?”

Asami was watching Korra’s lips as she was talking, not really listening at all to the song. Every single piece of her was way too focused on Korra, the beautiful, funny, brave, loyal girl whose arms were wrapped around her in the best possible way. “Oh yeah, right.”

For the first two, three minutes of the song, they swayed to the music, their motions both awkward and excited. But as the song approached its end, Korra tightened her hold around Asami’s waist, slipping her hands to the small of her back and lacing her fingers there, and Asami nuzzled into Korra’s hair, letting her familiar scent wash over her. They seemed in sync, if only for a minute, and the rest of the world faded out. Korra felt warm all over, even too warm, and Asami felt content. Happy, again.

The song ended but they continued sway, despite the fact that the song that followed moved on to a quicker, faster pace and the rhythm didn’t really match their swaying. Korra was the first one to notice, a few minutes later. She cleared her throat and let her grip around Asami loosen.

“Uh, sorry, I got a bit carried away,” Korra said as she stepped away, rubbing the back of her neck and staring off to the side.

“No, it’s okay, it was… I liked it,” Asami said, reaching out and cupping Korra’s cheek, making her look towards her. “Turns out you can dance after all.” She winked and moved to pull her hand away but Korra’s was already on top of it.

“Yeah?” Korra glanced up, almost hesitantly meeting her eyes.

“I swear on my honour.”

“Well I wouldn’t wanna take that for granted,” Korra smirked, wrapping her hand around Asami’s before she laced their fingers together. “Wanna sit with me a little longer? I don’t wanna go back inside yet.”

“I probably should,” Asami said as she followed her back on the grass, “I still feel the buzz.”

Truth be told, Asami still felt quite a buzz. If her blurry vision was anything to judge by, probably a lot more than Korra.

Korra sat down against the tree and in the next second Asami flopped, not so much sitting, almost on top of her. She began scooting away but Korra’s hands on her legs stopped her and she looked to her, once again realizing just how close they are to one another.

“It’s okay, stay. You’re still a bit drunk, right?”

“Me? Never.” Asami grinned, settling a little more comfortably in Korra’s lap.

Korra smirked, tilting her head to the side. “You do know I can tell when you’re lying, right?”

“You totally can’t,” Asami whined, leaning closer.

“Sure I can.”

“Prove it!”

“You narrow your eyes, just like you did seconds ago,” Korra started, staring into Asami’s eyes. Her gaze slowly drifted down as she continued, “You scrunch your nose in the most adorable way…”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah…” Korra murmured, their faces so close that she could feel their breaths mingling. “Your lips…”

“What of them?” Asami murmured, all but leaning in closer, just to brush their lips together. The temptation was too much, her brain had already melted from all the conflicting emotions and thoughts and she didn’t really have anything to lose. Right?

“The-”

A flash in the sky broke Korra’s voice and she lifted her head, glancing to her right and following the light of what seemed to have been a firework, and if the light wasn’t enough to distract Asami, the boom certainly was.

The two girls turned away from each other and looked up to the cloudless sky where a series of red and blue explosions lit up the sky.

A group of high school boys were setting off explosions in the sky as, of course, Mako was there trying to get them to stop before the cops were called, but to no avail.

“Oh Mako,” Asami laughed as she watched him. “I can’t believe I took him to prom.”

“What a guy he is.”

“Yeah… I’m sorry you guys didn’t work out, but at the same time I’m glad you didn’t because-”

Whatever Asami was going to say next was interrupted by something blocking her words.

It took a second to realize it was another pair of lips. A pair of soft, warm, eager lips.

Korra’s lips.

Once her brain figured out what was going on, Asami threw herself into the kiss.

Oh god. It was so much better than she could have ever imagined. The warmth, softness, the tenderness that was there all feeding into her passion. It was hands down the best kiss she ever had.

After several long seconds Korra pulled away, tried to look at Asami, catch her eye, read her expression.

But Asami was having none of that. The second Korra pulled away Asami pulled her back. Kissed her hard and with as much passion as she could possibly muster. She’d gotten what she’d wanted and she wasn’t about to let her go. She’d even risk not breathing, just to keep the kiss going.

“Idiots,” someone muttered. “Hey Korra, Asami you guys ready to-”

Mako saw the pair kissing fiercely and he stopped talking, turned on his heel, and walked away without another word.

Korra thought she heard someone but in that moment, it didn’t matter, all she could and wanted to focus on was the girl in her arms and lips on her own, warm and tender and reminding her of something she’d been longing for, for far too long.

Asami, on the other hand, was kissing her best friend, and there was no one else she’d rather be kissing.

 


	18. There's Got to be a Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Too much vodka last night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay I've been sick and working very long hours and uuugh real life. Anyways here is a chapter.

For fuck’s sake.

Everything was grey and hazy and her mouth was dry and smelled awful - it tasted even worse inside it - and her head was not totally real but at the same time in all sorts of pain.

Then there was her stomach. Something was definitely not right.

Asami ignored the protests of muscles and everything else telling her to remain in bed and she somehow stumbled out of it and made her way to the bathroom where she spent the next couple of early morning hours letting her stomach complain about all the alcohol she consumed the night before.

It complained thoroughly.

At some point in between throwing up, Asami passed out again.

When she awoke, either a couple hours, minutes, days, or years later (she couldn’t tell), her stomach was empty, her head in pain, and her mouth tasted of vomit and regret.

“Oh fuck,” she moaned as she pulled herself up enough to grab a toothbrush to attempt to clean out the vile taste in her mouth.

For a second, as her morning ritual dictated, she reached for the mouthwash, but as the smell of alcohol reached her nose she recoiled and decided against it.

No alcohol for Asami. Ever.

Somehow, she found herself in the shower, a gloriously hot, steamy shower.

Thank god Hiroshi was gone for some corporate thing. She would not want to explain to him why she was sick today. So very sick.

Through the mists of the shower, Asami found herself feeling marginally more awake. Awake enough to realize that she didn’t remember exactly what happened last night.

The hot water did nothing to help the icy cold feeling reaching up her spine that came with the blank space horror of not remembering what she said or did last night.

“Oh fuck.”

Let’s see. Prom. Dancing with Mako, as friends. Dancing with Korra. Dancing with all sorts of people. Dinner. Dancing. After party. Drinks. Lots of drinks.

Then things got increasingly blurry and confused.

Another wave of nausea swept across her empty gaps in memory.

The physical pains of the hangover were nothing in comparison with the knowledge that Asami had blacked out and could not remember much of the party.

At the point where the prunes that were her hands had reached critical mass, Asami finally pulled herself out of the shower.

Her movements were slow, delicate, unwilling to push the very tenuous equilibrium her incredibly hungover body found itself in.

She put her hair in a towel and walked back into her room without anything on, she’d change in her room.

Her hangover, was temporarily forgotten, when she spied a body in her bed and started to have a massive panic attack, with her heart thumping wildly in her chest.

She’d brought someone home?! Had Asami slept with someone last night?!

HOLY SHIT!

Before her panic could reach critical mass she heard that telltale little snore from the brunette in the bed.

“Korra?” Asami said.

“Hmm not yet,” the girl in the bed muttered as she pulled the blankets over her head and was instantly back to sleep.

As her heart rate slowed and adrenaline left her system, Asami’s head started pounding.

It was only Korra.

Just Korra.

Korra.

Her gorgeous, very extremely hot, look-Asami-I-have-a-six-pack Korra.

No. She couldn’t do this right now, not with the pulsing in her head, the throbbing of her empty stomach and the massive black holes in her mind.

Asami pulled on her biggest, comfiest sweatpants and biggest sweatshirt and left the bedroom.

Finally clearheaded enough to read the time, she realized it was only eight in the morning and Korra would be asleep for another four hours at least.

It was around her second cup of coffee that Asami started to remember things from the night before. Did someone set off fireworks?

By the third cup and half a piece of toast (it was the only thing her stomach would allow) she remembered being outside, dancing with someone again. It was nice, it was romantic, but she couldn’t remember who it was with.

God damn it.

After an hour or so of sitting in the kitchen nursing caffeine and ibuprofen Asami was finally joined in the kitchen by someone else.

“Did you have fun last night?” Mako asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

His stupid smug smile was like the cat that caught the canary. Mako’s happiness, chipper attitude, and distinct lack of a hangover made Asami instantly hate him with a burning passion.

Asami’s green eyes narrowed and she extended her middle finger at him.

“What? No fun?” Mako asked, confused.

She just glared at him until he left. Conversation involved thinking and talking and noises that were much too loud to deal with at this juncture.

It was only when Mako left the kitchen that Asami remembered his stupid grin from the night before. He was smiling at her after… something. She was outside. Ok there were definitely fireworks.

Holy shit.

Asami kissed someone.

Asami kissed Mako.

She was outside under the tree, there were fireworks, she was kissing someone, there was Mako with his stupid grin (both times).

2 + 2 = 4

Fuck. She made out with her best friend’s ex.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.

Asami buried herself in her sweatshirt’s hood and covered her head with her arms.

God damn it.

Korra and Mako might have been broken up, but that still wasn’t cool what she did.

Oh god.

That’s it. When she takes over Future Industries, she’s dedicating the entire company to time travel research and then she’s using it to go back and make sure last night never ever happened.

How is she going to face Korra?

 

* * *

 

The bedside clock on Asami’s nightstand said it was noon. Asami would have been long awake, so Korra wasn’t surprised to find her gone, but at the same time it stung a little bit.

And somehow Korra felt even more exhausted than when she went to sleep.

Things felt a little foggy but Korra thanked her past self for not drinking as much as she’d initially wanted and consequently feeling relatively okay today. She flopped off the bed clumsily, clad in nothing but her undershirt and sleeping shorts she probably stole from Asami last night, and padded off towards the bathroom, scratching at her butt just as Mako walked past her.

Well great.

And he had the most shit-eating grin when he looked at her, she could literally feel the embarrassment and all the centuries it’d last.

When she got in the bathroom, she took a long look at herself and figured she didn’t look all that bad, all she could do with was a bit of water and she’d be ok. And definitely a thorough brushing of her teeth because as little as she may have drunk, her mouth smelled like… well, horrible.

She reached for a toothbrush, ignoring the fact that she wasn’t at home, and grabbed the one closest to her, a black and red one. She already stuck it in her mouth when realization struck her.

That’s Asami’s toothbrush. As in, Asami, the one she …

Oh god.

What the hell was she thinking last night?

Sure, Asami looked a bit lonely and they were alone and it meant nothing, right? The dance, and the kiss, everything Asami said, their wandering hands and loving touches - no wait, they weren’t loving! None of it was loving, it was just two best friends… kissing. Making out, dancing and telling one another all those sweet things…

Oh god, did Korra tell her about the whole “you look adorable when you scrunch your nose” thing? She did, she totally did and now she’d feel embarrassed about it for the rest of her life. Asami wouldn’t just tease her, she’d make it her life’s mission to remind Korra of it every day.

Korra twirled the toothbrush in her mouth until a knock on the door startled her, unintentionally savoring the taste of Asami one more time.

“Korra, you up?” It was Asami’s voice, sounding really hoarse and pained.

Korra could swear her heart skipped at the way Asami said her name. No, it didn’t skip at that, it leaped because it was Asami, and she said Korra’s name. Yeah, that felt a bit more accurate.

“Yeah, I’ll be out, uh, in a min.” Korra answered with a vigorous shaking of her head.

This is not happening.

“Good, lunch is ready, hurry.” Asami ordered and Korra could hear her footsteps drawing away as she quickly splashed some water over her face, cleaning herself up and smushing her face in one of the fluffy towels that were hanging about.

How is she gonna face Asami?

And she doesn’t have feelings for her, this is just a, a crush! Yeah, that’s what it is. ‘Cause Asami’s a really fucking great kisser. And a brilliant dancer. And she’s really hot, like really hot. And she’s got really nice hair and her eyes look like a forest and - fuck. No.

Yeah?

 

* * *

 

Asami shifted in her seat, staring at the piece of toast that seemed to have been staring back at her. She couldn’t force herself to eat anymore, but she stayed at the table, intent on keeping Korra company. She had to face her sooner or later, Korra would understand, right?

It’s not like she wanted to kiss Mako, didn’t she?

She never even gave it any thought, prior to this. And she didn’t really remember how it got to them kissing, the details were too foggy but he was a really good kisser, so maybe she did want to kiss him some more?

NO.

Mako is Korra’s ex and Asami would never do that. Besides, she wasn’t even interested in him, not even remotely, and what happened at the prom was just her being extremely drunk and he, well, being a guy. There were no feelings involved, just the alcohol and the forced romantic high school air of prom. That was the only reason she kissed Mako, it had to be. But damn it all, she couldn’t remember the event itself or anything around it. At least she woke up with Korra in her bed, otherwise it’d have been extremely awkward. Not that this wasn’t already extremely awkward.

Korra strolled into the kitchen looking as bright as ever and Asami wondered how could that even be possible, considering they’d both had a lot to drink last night. She did remember dancing with Bolin and laughing when Mako invited Korra to dance, and she knew from fact that Korra had drank at least five glasses of that punch with her.

So why is she so damned perfect?

Asami groaned, covering her face and running her hands through her hair.

This day was already too long.

“Hey,” Korra mumbled as she plopped down at the table, opposite of Asami. She couldn’t exactly meet Asami’s eyes so she kept her gaze down or glancing around, until she felt Asami shift and look at her. She couldn’t avoid her any longer.

Asami had pretty similar thoughts.

“Hey,” She mumbled as her eyes met Korra’s, “Sleep well?”

“Like a baby,” Korra grinned and looked away, standing up to pour herself some coffee, “You?”

“Woke up before eight,” Asami grumbled, crossing her legs.

“Shit.”

“Yeah. And it was not a good morning, not at all.”

“Got sick?” Korra said, sitting back down and cradling the mug in her hands. She brought it to her lips and took a small sip, sighing with a smile when the warmth immediately spread through her.

“Mhm,” Asami hummed, “What the hell was in that punch, anyway?” She asked, more in general than actually directing the question at Korra. Trying to broach the subject without actually talking about it.

“I’ve no idea but it was strong and you had a whole lot. You got pretty hammered,” Korra chuckled, taking another sip of her coffee.

“Shut up, I know,” Asami whined, “Please tell me I did anything really stupid…”

“I don’t know, hard to tell…” Korra joked, well aware of the way her own voice broke off at the words a little, her nervousness seeping through, “I thought we could talk about what happened?” Korra added quickly, clenching the mug in her hands.

Asami’s world came to a sudden stop.

No.

She shouldn’t have gotten so drunk and kissed Mako, now her friendship with Korra was suffering that was the last thing she ever wanted. The only thing she still cherished deeply in her life was at stake and Asami couldn’t, wouldn’t lose it. Mako didn’t mean a thing to her compared to Korra, and she was going to fix this.

“Korra, I… I’m sorry. I wasn’t myself, I was drunk and obviously not thinking what I was doing. Can we just…” Her voice trailed off as she looked away, unable to meet Korra’s gaze. That horrible dry mouthed, nauseous feeling was back in force, and her head was pounding as her heartbeat increased.

Korra never thought her heart could beat as hard.

So Asami didn’t actually want to kiss her, at least not when she was sober. So everything that happened last night was actually only for last night. Everything that Korra told her was obviously not what Asami wanted to hear.

Korra was up on her feet in a matter of seconds, her mug placed on the table as she moved in Asami’s space and swooped her up in her arms, her hands on Asami’s shoulders as she spoke.

“Asami, I know there’s more to it, I know there’s something there and I didn’t expect it to happen, but it did and you can’t deny it.” Her voice was strong and fierce, almost rough.

She didn’t know what to expect, she obviously had doubts of her own and Asami clearly didn’t want this, she didn’t need another Rox, and Korra didn’t really know if what she felt for her was more than just friendship, she didn’t even know herself that well, but she was willing to… to explore. To wonder. To give it a try. She had to know, Korra couldn’t do this by herself, she needed Asami there with her. She wanted Asami with her. Everything had gotten so confusing in the last twelve hours and the alcohol and the hangovers weren’t making this any better. But this was Asami, her Asami, her best friend ever, they were inseparable. There had to be something there.

But Asami folder her arms and hugged herself, side-stepped around her and spoke in a determined, harsh voice.

“No, Korra,” Asami turned away from her, staring off to the side as she continued, “What happened was a mistake and it will never happen again, if I can do anything about it. What we have is too precious to lose and I’d hate myself if the events of last night ruined our friendship.” Asami forced the words out in one large breath, the only thought on her mind being to tell her best friend that she never wanted to kiss her ex in the first place and that she didn’t want anything with him, even if there was ever a chance. She’d never let it ruin the best thing she ever had. To her Korra was first and foremost the most important person in her life, and she’d never let anything get in the way of it.

God damn it, why couldn’t she have gotten drunk and confessed to having feelings for Korra instead. Sure it would have been a billion times more embarrassing but it would have been drunk and true, instead of drunk and false.

Suddenly, Korra felt like crying. For a moment she felt like screaming, too, but it wouldn’t do her good, she’d just scream through tears. Then, the next moment, she felt relief, but the moment was so brief, she didn’t even take it into account. An all-encompassing, hollow sadness seeped into her heart and she felt like any respite it could have brought was swallowed by the emptiness she suddenly felt. It felt like someone promised her a happy ever after and then in the next breath ripped it from her.

Asami’s words resonated through her very being and try as she may, Korra couldn’t explain to herself why it hurt so much. Why a rejection, even if wasn’t actually one, hurt so much. Whatever it was that she felt towards Asami, shattered at that very moment, and left Korra emptier than she’d ever felt. A string between the two of them suddenly felt cut, and Korra wanted nothing more than to run away, as far away from Asami as she could, and not look back, never wonder what could have been.

Asami didn’t want anything that would in any way change their friendship, and Korra would deal with it, the only way she knew.

When Korra grinned at her, Asami knew something was wrong, aside from everything already being wrong.

Korra only smiled like that when she was really sad, really tired and didn’t want to think about anything anymore. Asami fucked up, and she fucked up bad. She knew that now, and she all but wished she could reverse time and make herself stop drinking she wouldn’t do that one thing that didn’t ruin their friendship right now, but just might, in the long run.

“I think I should go home,” Korra finally spoke again, heading towards the door, not once looking back.

Asami, of course, followed, if nothing else, to be a good host.

“So I’ll see you tomorrow? Remember, we said we’d have a movie night?” Asami asked, hesitantly, but she had to, she needed to know that right now, she could at least fix the damage that was already done, and she’d deal with the rest later.

“Yeah, sure,” Korra smiled that saddened smile of hers again, and Asami sighed, hoping Korra wouldn’t notice.

“Great, I can’t wait to see you,” Asami said and was about to step forward and wrap her arms around her best friend.

But Korra beat her to it, she mumbled a quick, “See ya!” and turned on her heels, disappearing down the street in a few quick, unusually long steps.

“Fuck,” Asami muttered to herself as the door closed behind her and she let herself slide down and lean against them, “Just…. fuck.”

There was always the day after and Asami was already hating the concept. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you guys said we've been hurting Asami too much so we switched gears a little bit to heap a whole bunch of pain on Korra instead!


	19. Summertime Sadness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for summer camp! \o/

“I should get going,” Korra said as the credits rolled on the movie she was watching with Asami.

“You sure? You don’t want to stay, you could stay if you wanted,” Asami said, playing with her hands without noticing.

“No, but thanks,” Korra responded. “I got this soccer thing I got to leave for tomorrow when my dad gets back from work, so I should probably get some sleep and pack and stuff.”

“Yeah,” Asami said as she stood up and pulled Korra into a hug, a hug that didn’t quite feel the same as Korra hugs were before stupid prom. “Well good luck, kick all sorts of butt on the field, but don’t hurt yourself. Text me or call me or something.”

“Yeah, I will,” Korra said. “See you in two weeks.”

Asami stood in the doorway, long enough to watch Korra disappear onto the street and out of view. She sighed, hugged herself and entered the house, headed for her room and went on to do the only thing she found even remotely interesting lately - she studied. Didn’t matter what, as long as it kept her mind off Korra and the way things were between them nowadays.

Cold.

That was the only word that came to mind when Asami thought of how their friendship made her feel now. Korra didn’t hug her the same way anymore, she put a lot more distance between them whenever they were alone, and she didn’t text her with a “hey sami-butt” anymore. Of all those, the last one made her the saddest.

That isn’t even to bring up the fact that, since prom night, Korra hasn’t spent the night over at Asami’s. It felt like some sort of betrayal. It’s been over a month since they graduated, a month and a half since prom, and Korra just didn’t seem to want to be around her anymore.

Asami was at the end of her wits, even more so since Korra said everything was ok. Obviously nothing was or would be, any time soon. And with Korra leaving for summer camp tomorrow, Asami was certain it would only make things between them even worse. She didn’t want to believe in it, but Korra probably wouldn’t even text her, not unless she texted first, and the very idea stung.

When she finally got up to her room, Asami took a few minutes to gather all the things she considered she’d need for another distraction session. As she pulled out one of her books from the bookshelf, a photo album fell down with it and she moved to pick it up, only to stop in her tracks.

Tears welled in her eyes at the sight.

It was her favourite photo of her and Korra, some time a few years ago, at Korra’s birthday party, with her arms around Asami’s neck, planting a kiss to her cheek. Contrary to what she looked right now, Asami had the biggest smile on her face, and it only hurt more. Why couldn’t things go back to that time? When they were just really good, best - closest - friends, and everything was okay and not hurting? Why did everything have to go to hell?

Hurt weighed heavily on her heart, and Asami flipped the page over, holding back, trying to push down the tears that begged to fall. Of all the things to go wrong in her life, she always kind of figured her friendship with Korra would be the only one to remain constant, bright… good. But alas, it turned out to be yet another thing she managed to fuck up.

She sat down, holding the photo album in her hands, and finally let the tears fall down freely. She held them back for far too long, and she couldn’t even remember the last time she cried. Probably way back when Rox left. But Korra always made sure Asami wouldn’t shed a single tear, ever again. This time though, she was crying over Korra and that was something Asami  was not counting on.

 

* * *

 

Korra always loved summer camps, even though this one was missing the most important person that made them even remotely fun.

Asami.

Avoiding Asami somehow became a force of habit, rather than a need lately, and Korra actually didn’t mind that much anymore. Something inside her compelled her not to answer every call she’d get from Asami and not to rush to Asami’s whenever she sounded even remotely sad on the phone. Korra didn’t even reply to her texts the same way anymore. Or at all. It was tense, yes, and Korra knew Asami had picked up on it from the way she looked at her but it didn’t matter. Korra knew everything she needed to know about Asami and their friendship and that’s what it all was. Friendship.

The day after the party something snapped in Korra. The rejection didn’t feel so much as a rejection, rather it felt more like betrayal. A state of things that was only waiting to happen, like it was always there, just laying in wait and getting ready to stand between them when the time was right. Apparently this was that time.

Korra still couldn’t exactly figure out what it was that she suddenly felt towards Asami, even though it didn’t seem quite as sudden the more she thought about it. But it was deep and strong and honest and - Asami couldn’t, wouldn’t return it. As much as Korra wanted to go back to that day or as many times as Asami had started a conversation that may lead in that direction, Korra all but told herself those were now things of the past and no matter how much of an itch they were, she would not scratch it.

Luckily, the time to go away to summer camp, and without Asami, was here and Korra embraced the change of scenery wholeheartedly.

The place looked cool enough and Korra, being the ever cheerful and outgoing one, was confident that she’d make at least one friend during her time there. Sure, it was only two weeks but that’s enough to get to know someone just that tiny amount so you can call them your friend, right? It wasn’t a prerequisite but it would be nice to have someone to hang out with. Someone to… well maybe not replace Asami, but replace that hole left by Asami.

The campus she found herself on was open and full of greenery, lots of trees and grass and open spaces. She went to the gym as she was told, signed in, got herself a key and a temporary housing assignment in one of the dorms.

Korra was a little late, there was construction on every single one of the highways on the way up to the school.

So when she finally got all of her stuff out of the car and up the four flights of stairs (the elevator was broken of course) she wasn’t surprised to see her temporary roommate had already moved in and gotten all of her stuff all set up.

Korra managed to open the door and at the same time almost drop all of her stuff precariously held in one hand when her new roommate was all of sudden there grabbing stuff from her saying, “Oh let me help.”

“Uh, oh,” Korra started as one of the bags was taken from her and at the exact moment she said “thanks” was immediately fumbled and dropped on the floor.

“Oh my god, I’m sorry,” the roommate said, “I was trying to help and I’ll just get out of your way.”

“It’s fine,” Korra said as she dropped the rest of her stuff on the unoccupied bed. “I see you took the good bed.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. We can trade if you want.”

“I was kidding,” Korra said. “I’m Korra, I think we met once before, last year when I tried out for the team.”

“Oh yeah! Aunt Lin said you were pretty good!”

“She said, ‘eh, alright’. If I remember correctly.”

“That’s Lin speak for pretty good. Oh I’m Opal by the way, or again, rather.”

“Well hello Opal, I’m Korra’s dad Tonraq,” the big man said as he shook the tiny girl’s hand. “Now I’ve got just enough time to get some dinner before I have to head back. Opal would you care to join us?”

“Thanks, but I ate at the dining hall already. There’s a really good sandwich place down the main street about a block and a half from here,” Opal said.

After saying her goodbyes and hugging her dad, when Korra got back to their room, all she could manage was collapse onto her bed and fall into a deep slumber.

The next day, Korra was awoken in the strangest of ways.

First there was a loud thud that managed to stir even her thick sleep, then there was a yelp of sorts before something relatively heavy settled on her bed, taking up some space at the middle but not touching her. Korra was lying on her side with her face turned to the wall and she was already wide awake by the time she felt warmth creep up her neck.

“C’moooon you bug, wake up,” Said a low female voice, right beside Korra’s ear seconds before firm, nimble fingers ran through her hair. “Opal, c’mon, your roommate’s already gone.” The girl spoke again and this time Korra finally decided she shouldn’t be enjoying the hair-brushing so much and it was time to turn around.

“Uh, sorry?” Korra murmured in her still sleepy voice as her blue eyes settled onto green ones and she turned around fully, laying on her back and staring up at the dumbfounded girl.

“Shit,” Was all the girl muttered, with her cheeks tinted red and her eyes narrowed at Korra’s before literally jumping off the bed and slipping out the door without another word.

“What the?” Korra grumbled, pushed the covers off herself and sat on the side of the bed, yawning and stretching her arms at the same time. She was exactly mid stretch when the door swung open again and the same girl peered inside, her lips now pulled in a smirk.

“You’re really cute,” The girl said before she winked and closed the door.

Korra spent another thirty minutes sitting on the bed, processing what the hell just happened.

By the time she finally managed to get around without getting lost and signed up for some extra workouts before the training started the next day, it was dinner time, so Korra headed to the dining hall.

“Hey, Korra!” Her roommate’s voice echoed the large hall and Korra immediately followed it, carrying a tray full of what she could only describe as _yummi stuff_.

It wasn’t until she sat down did she notice the girl sitting next to Opal. Her eyes widened and she leaned over the table, all but pointing a finger at the girl. “You!”

“Hey,” The girl said, a smirk playing on the lips, “What’s up?”

“Don’t what’s up me, you’re a creeper!” Korra grumbled, loud enough for Opal and a few others at the table to hear.

“Excuse me?” Opal finally chipped in, “Kuv?” She turned to the girl.

“I may have confused her with you,” The girl said, still smirking, “Not that I’m sorry, she’s cute.” She turned to Korra and, as if right on cue, winked. Korra’s eyes widened, if it were possible to have one’s eyes so much wider than usual, and she suddenly felt unusually warm, with her cheeks definitely leading in the whole “let’s turn every part of Korra’s body all hot” race.

“What the-”

“God, I’m so sorry Korra, this is Kuvira, my best friend. Sister? Cousin? Uh… Adopted sister best friend?” Opal rubbed the back of her neck with her cheeks tinted red.

“Jeez, Opal, very eloquent,” The girl mumbled, turning to Opal for a moment before she shifted in her seat and turned to fully face Korra, extending her hand across the table and smiling, “Hi, my name’s Kuvira and I’m Opal’s best friend. Also the person she’s going to leave everything to when she dies, so, y’know, I’ll be good-looking _and_ rich.”

Korra’s face twisted in a grimace as she tried to laugh at the remark - it was actually really funny, considering Opal’s disgusted face - but at the same time felt a few excruciatingly exciting shivers spike down her spine when she took hold of Kuvira’s hand. The handshake was firm and strong, and Kuvira held her gaze for a while, unwilling to look away first. In the end, Korra couldn’t take the green of her eyes any longer, she averted her eyes, clearing her throat.

“So… How did you two meet?”

“In the beginning,” Kuvira started, “I was born. From there things get a little messy-”

“Kuv! Stop being such an ass!” Opal interrupted. “My mom practically raised Kuvira with me and my brothers since forever so I don’t really remember a time when she wasn’t around.”

“Wow. That’s some… history.” Korra said as she stuffed a turkey sandwich in her mouth, “Very interesting.”

“What I’m more interested in,” Kuvira said as she seductively pulled pieces of her dinner off her fork, “is you Korra. What are you here for? You dating anyone back home? Where is home for you? How do you feel about making out with girls, specifically me?”

“Uh..” Korra muttered trying to remember all of the questions, her cheeks turning warmer with each one. “Soccer, no I’m not dating anyone and wait what?”

Opal had buried her face in her hands. “Jesus Kuvira. Could you try not to hit on every pretty girl I try to make friends with? Can you at least wait like forty eight hours?”

Kuvira pretended to think about it, while never taking her eyes off Korra. “Hmm… no. Not for this one. She’s too cute.”

For a few minutes, all Korra could do was stare.

Was this girl actually interested in her? Was she actually flirting or just making fun of Korra’s flustered state?

“Seriously, Kuvira, can you not?” Opal grumbled again, taking a bite of her dinner.

“I cannot,” Kuvira murmured smugly, never once taking her eyes off Korra.

Truth be told, Korra didn’t mind _that_ much.

 

For the next few days, Korra had completely forgotten everything she’d left back at home and focused solely on everything there was to do at summer camp. She dedicated herself to soccer and played as best as she could, almost feeling herself getting better and better with each passing day. Not to say that she wasn’t distracted at times - those times being whenever Kuvira was around and that, consequently, happened to be a lot - but Korra was set on being the best at what she did and by the time they were supposed to head home, she’d achieved her goal. Pun not intended.

The camp was busy and exhausting as hell. They worked out every morning, trained every afternoon, played practice games every night. The girls only had a couple of free hours in the middle of the day for lunch and again at the end for dinner. By the time the games ended at night, most girls were just too exhausted to do anything besides shower and go to bed.

Except Kuvira.

She was a wild one, so full of energy. At the end of every night her and Opal and Korra almost always found themselves in Korra’s room just talking, or watching stupid things on youtube.

On Sunday, they got the day off. In that they only had weights in the morning.

“I don’t know about you,” Kuvira said as she flopped down on Korra’s bed, “but I could go for about twelve pounds of Chinese food.”

“Hey,” Korra said as she poked Kuvira. “I was going to collapse there.”

“There’s plenty of room,” Kuvira said with a smile that caused much eye rolling in Opal.

Korra just rolled her eyes and fell on top of Kuvira.

“Oof! For a shorty you certainly weigh a lot,” she said with a strained edge to her voice.

“A square inch of muscle weighs more than fat,” Korra retorted.

“Are you calling me fat?”

“Not fat… just soft.”

“I’d fight you,” Kuvira said. “But I’m actually rather comfy right here.”

“Are you two done with… whatever it is that you’re doing?” Opal asked. “Because you said Chinese food and I’m starving and I want to eat until I can’t move.”

“I can’t move now!” Korra said.

“Neither can I!” Kuvira retorted. “I’ve got a rock in the shape of a girl laying on top of me!”

“You’re just saying that because my abs are like… Like Michelangelo sculpted them!” Korra grinned up at Opal, earning another eyeroll.

“Korra get off her, you look like Jabba the Hutt from this corner,” Opal mumbled, barely suppressing her laughter.

“Excuse you, we’re Han and Leia!” Kuvira chipped in, grinning.

“Uh, you don’t really strike me as Leia…” Korra said as she finally pushed herself off Kuvira and sat down next to her, “More like… Chewie.”

“Fuck you!” Kuvira said, swatting her arm, “If anyone’s Chewie here, it’s Opal. And you’re totally Leia, c’mon, look at you.”

“Uh…”

“Yeah Kuvira, uh?” Opal mumbled from the side.

“Oh just whatever, but I’m clearly the badass here so, y’know, I’m Han Solo and that’s that.”

“Ugh!” Opal said.

“Eh, that wasn’t a great wookie noise,” Korra said. “I’d give it a four.”

“Really, a four?” Kuvira asked. “That’s way too generous. I was gonna give that a two.”

“Uuuuugh!”

“Much better, that’s a five at least. Maybe a five and a half.” Korra grinned, glancing back and forth between Opal and Kuvira.

“Totally,” Kuvira’s grin matched her own as she raised her hand, offering her palm.

Korra glanced at Opal before slapping her hand against Kuvira’s.

“Okay seriously, do you want me to leave the room so you can discuss Star Wars some more or can we go eat something now?” Opal grumbled, crossing her arms at her chest.

Korra shrugged, “I guess we can go eat now,” She mumbled, pushing herself off the bed, but not before she leaned over, mumbling to Kuvira, “And I’m totally Han.”

“Hah, you wish!”

Korra moved over to her desk and picked up a pen and threw it at Kuvira. The flying writing instrument hit Kuvira square in the face.

“I shot first!” Korra yelled victoriously as she ran out of the room.

“You little!” Kuvira yelled back as she sprinted out of the room after her.

Opal just rolled her eyes. “What a bunch of dorks. I really don’t want to be Chewie. Can I at least be Obi-wan?”

Later that night Korra found herself thinking about her time at the camp and the friends she found there.

Opal and her got really close in that time, so close that Korra didn’t spend a single day without seeing Opal for at least two hours, and then spending another two hours talking about nonsense before they both went to bed. Somewhere in the midst of all that, she forgot to text Asami.

By the time she remembered,the day before they were supposed to head home, it didn’t really make any difference. She’d just see her in person soon, why text, right?

Forgetting to text Asami didn’t have anything _at all_ to do with Kuvira, of course. Or with the fact that spending time with her had gone from weird and a slight nuisance to oh so wonderful and kind of really warm in her gut. Korra enjoyed the time they spent together, whenever Kuvira decided to barge into Korra and Opal’s room or join them on one of their numerous walks. Or those time when she’d pop by when Opal wasn’t there and just casually leaned closer, brushed her hand against Korra’s and winked at her.

“Oh I forgot to tell you, you looked really good during practice,” Korra’s phone read.

“Is it Kuvira?” Opal asked as she lay in her bed.

Korra didn’t say anything.

“You know she just left right?” Opal told her. “What she possibly have forgotten to tell you in the two hours we’ve hung out since practice ended?”

“Uh, nothing,” Korra said as she smiled at the text.

It may have only been two weeks but it felt so great, like this was going to be a great place for Korra, and she could feel it.

Or maybe what she was feeling was some strange hazy feelings towards that tall, statuesque woman Kuvira. Cause holy shit. She was something else.

That last night Korra didn’t get much sleep because she spent most of the night thinking about Kuvira. So, as usual she overslept a bit.

“Hey bug, time to get up,” Korra heard a voice stirring in her dreams.

“Kuvira,” Korra muttered into her pillow. “Opal’s in the other bed, remember?”

“Yeah, I know,” Kuvira whispered into Korra’s ear. “Opal’s gone and you’re just so damn cute when you’re asleep and I wanted to see you one more time while we are still in the same place.”

Korra rolled over, and Kuvira’s hand suddenly went from her hand to her cheek.

“Yeah, what did you want to talk about?” Korra asked as she rubbed one of her eyes and Kuvira awkwardly snatched her hand back.

“Well, you know…” Kuvira held Korra’s gaze for another brief moment before she took a deep breath and glanced to the side.

It was the first time in the past two weeks that Korra saw the ever-confident Kuvira hesitate. She blinked a few times and mumbled in her still sleep-marred voice. “Well what?”

Kuvira turned back to look at her and there was a glimmer, an unfamiliar spark in her eyes that Korra hadn’t noticed until now.

“I just, I really like you Korra, you know? Not as a friend but as a girl, a really cute, adorable, incredibly hot girl. I mean have you seen yourself, jeez, how are you so ho… t.” Kuvira’s cheeks seemed to turn red as she cleared her throat, “I mean yeah, I like you. So, you know, think about this.” She gestured to the space between them, “Kay? Give it a thought.” She moved to leave the room, but not before she turned around with the same smug expression on her face. “And just so you know, I’m a great kisser.”

Kuvira winked and with that left the room, once again leaving a dumbfounded, flustered and a very confused Korra.

When she finally managed to come back to her senses, after a long and thorough hot shower, Korra packed all her things and dragged her bags to the reception area. She joined Opal for lunch, kinda - totally - sad that Kuvira wasn’t there to join them. As it turned out, she’d gone home before them, for some reason, and Korra didn’t actually get the chance to properly say goodbye.

When she hugged Opal for the third time before she spotted her dad and got in the car, Korra quickly took out her phone and texted Kuvira.

 **Korra** : Hey, sorry I was still half asleep when you came to say goodbye, I wish I could have done it properly.

 **Kuvira** : What, with a goodbye kiss? :P

 **Korra** : Idiot.

 **Korra** : No, with a hug and you know, nice words. Like a normal person.

 **Kuvira** : You just wanted to kiss me, admit it!

 **Korra** : Ugh, shut up. I’m gonna go sleep in the car now so yeah. Hope you have a safe trip and I’ll see you in a couple weeks.

 **Kuvira** : Yeah, yeah. Sleep tight, cutiepie ;)

Korra’s cheeks flushed and glanced at Tonraq when he cleared his throat.

“That Asami?” He asked, his eyes set on the road ahead.

“Uh, no, a new friend I made at the camp,” Korra murmured, distinctly aware of the way her heart seemed to beat faster at the thought of Kuvira. And again, as if right on cue, another message buzzed on Korra’s phone.

 **Kuvira** : And think about what I said, k?

Korra stared at her phone, swallowing the lump in her throat as she wrote her reply.

 **Korra** : I will.

Tonraq’s voice brought her back to reality.

“Well Asami’s gonna be over when we come home, I hope you’re ready for a pouncing attack, I’m pretty sure she’s missed you a lot.”

“Yeah…” Korra murmured, drifting off to sleep.

The rest of the drive was long, bumpy, and full of strange dreams with green-eyed girls and some famous soccer players.

 

* * *

 

The second the bleary eyed, barely awake Korra walked in through the door Asami forgot that things had been chilly between them and ran up to the girl she hadn’t talked to in two weeks and practically tackled her.

“Hey there dork, I missed you,” Asami said into the hug.

“Hey,” Korra said sounding still partially asleep.

“So I want to hear all about it,” Asami told Korra as she grabbed one of Korra’s bags and started carrying up to her room.

Korra’s phone pinged midway to the house, and Asami stopped in her tracks, waiting for Korra to read the message. The unconscious half-smile on Korra’s face felt oddly saddening.

“Sorry, a friend,” Korra muttered as she shoved her phone and grabbed the other bag, pushing past Asami and heading inside. She brushed against her shoulder in the passing, offering a sheepish grin just to make the awkwardness that suddenly decided to reappear a little easier to bear. After Korra was almost hugged to death by Senna, they made their way to Korra’s room with Asami’s arms looped around Korra’s.

“Well?”

“Well what?” Korra mumbled as they finally reached her room.

“Well how was it, you dork!” Asami grinned and let go of her arm, albeit reluctantly, and settled on Korra’s bed. “I wanna hear everything - what are the people like, how’s the place looking, were there any hot guys?”

Korra visibly gulped at that last word and Asami narrowed her eyes, opening her mouth to ask something but the pinging of Korra’s phone broke her concentration.

Korra swiftly pulled it out of her pocket and typed out a quick reply before she set the phone on her table and walked over to the bed, ignoring the giant elephant that seemed to wanna sit right between her and Asami.

“So, you were saying?” Korra smiled.

“Actually, I was asking, you were supposed to say something before your phone went off,” Asami said, adding so quietly that Korra couldn’t possibly hear, “Again.”

“Yeah, sorry about that, friend’s just asking if I got home safely,” Korra said, rubbing the back of her neck, “Anyway it was great, I was voted the best player, of course,” Korra puffed her chest and raised her arms, flexing her muscles, clearly not noticing the blush on Asami’s cheeks. “I made a few friends, my roommate was really great and I actually can’t wait to get there. Like, Asami, I’m genuinely so excited! My coach has been to the Olympics three separate times as a player and once as a coach!” Korra finished with a wide smile that seemed to reach even beyond her eyes, if such a thing were possible.

The longer Korra talked, the colder the pit in Asami’s stomach grew. This was actually happening, really truly happened. The distance was starting to grow, they were drifting apart.

But Korra was smiling most of the time, and her phone buzzed a few more times, making her smile even wider, so Asami couldn’t bring herself to ruin that. Seeing Korra smile meant more to her than her own hurt.

However, when Korra’s phone buzzed for the nth time, Asami couldn’t stay quiet any longer. They’d resolved to watch a movie and Korra wasn’t even bothering to pay attention, she kept checking her phone and answering messages.

“Korra can you stop that for even a few minutes?” Asami asked, aggravated and somewhat edgy.

“Uh sorry, it’s just, Kuvira is-” Korra finally looked up from her phone, turning to meet Asami’s stare.

“Kuvira?” Asami repeated, holding her gaze.

“A girl I met at camp,” Korra mumbled, clicking once more on her phone and setting it aside, “A friend.”

“Oh,” Was all Asami managed. She settled back and wrapped the blanket around herself, missing the point when Korra would inevitably join her under the blanket and lend her her warmth. This time she didn’t though, she just stayed at her position on the other side of the couch.

After another half hour or so, Asami’s feelings finally got the best of her.

“Korra?” Asami asked, not bothering to look up at her so called best friend. Well, not so much asked as whispered.

“Yeah?” Korra asked as soon as she put down her phone. One look at Asami told her this was serious. “What’s up?”

Asami swallowed nothing, trying to find the necessary moisture in her mouth to form words and push sounds past her stone-like tongue. “Korra… you’re my best friend… my… just… my best friend. You know that right?”

“Yeah, how could I forget?” Korra responded but somehow feeling the hollowness in it.

“It’s just… just… I feel like we’ve been drifting apart since… graduation. I don’t like it. You’re going away to school and even though we don’t leave for a few more weeks I feel like I’ve already lost you. And it sucks. It really fucking sucks. These two weeks you were gone, not talking to me was almost more than I could take. I don’t want to do that again.” Asami finally said with a sniffle.

“I… I don’t know what to say.”

“I mean I get it if you want some space or something with everything that’s happened. But I need you in my life. Even if it’s as friends. Can we do that?”

Korra felt heat in her face, shame instead of embarrassment or an attraction. She might have been shut down by Asami, she might have new weird feelings, a crush even, on Kuvira. But there was a certain truth in what Asami said, Korra did feel strangely half complete without her best friend.

“Yeah, I want that too,” Korra finally managed to whisper out. “It’s just… I’m sorry I’m bad at this. Especially with distance. And you know how weird I get with feelings. I mean look how long it took for me to get over Mako! It’s not something I just turn off or on, I need to slowly let it go. And hopefully I can do that soon and we can go back to being us.”

“I’d like that,” Asami quickly added, not even bothering to fully process Korra’s words. She was just grateful they were finally getting back on the same page again, or at least trying to instead of avoiding it like they had been.

“But you know how forgetful I can be,” Korra offered a sad smile. “If I forget to text you or call you, it’s probably because someone is distracting me with food.”

Suddenly Asami laughed as she faked a swoon and collapsed on Korra’s bed. “Food! My old nemesis! I can never compete with food for your affections!”

Korra smiled. It was better than it had been. They’d started talking about it, and for a time it felt better than it had been in weeks, but it still didn’t feel quite the same as it did before.

And Asami wasn’t sure if it would any time soon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Or summertime sadness?


	20. Bad Timing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternate chapter titles include:  
> Dying Whale Noises;  
> 60 Minutes of Dying Whale Noises;  
> God damn it Mako;  
> SON OF A BITCH;  
> Bolin's Not Coming (Again);  
> Guess who's not appearing in this chapter (hint it's Bolin)

In the flurry of activity that came with the first semester of college, intense workout schedules for soccer, new classes, new dorm room with a new friend (thank god it was Opal and not someone who smells weird), getting perpetually lost in the labyrinthine basement of main hall, Korra hadn’t really talked to Asami. They talked through text and Facebook and stuff, but they haven’t really talked like they used to.

    In Korra’s defense she’s had games almost every weekend.

    And in Asami’s case being an engineering major with a few core college classes already done meant that she was thrown right into the fire and this was a hard major, but so far she was enjoying the shit out of it.

    Even if she missed the hell out of Korra.

    She finally, after two months, got time to see Mako and Bolin. That weekend she was going to go hangout with the two boys for some quick dinner.

    Korra meanwhile had a free weekend for the first time all semester it felt like. The team had a spectacular game in the middle of the week against their bitter rival, and Korra walked away from the win with a goal and three assists. It was a personal best, and so far her best performance ever.

    Because of the win “Iron” Lin Beifong was going to give the team the weekend, light practice Friday, no team workouts Saturday or Sunday. It was a miracle.

    The only thing that could have made it more magical was if Lin smiled, which Korra was convinced would never ever happen.

    Late on Friday afternoon, Korra found herself in her room alone, wondering what she was going to do with all of her free time this weekend, besides seeing how late she could sleep in.

    Opal’s philosophy class was running late (as it so often did, it’s philosophy, they have lots to talk about) but then she was heading home to spend the weekend with her parents.

    Korra didn’t blame her, but she was looking forward to not having to wear pants around the room.

    “Korra! We have an entire weekend together!” Kuvira said as she walked into the room without knocking, as she so often did now.

    “Do you want to go out?” Korra asked, before she realized what she just said.

    “Yeah, I can really go for something not cafeteria food.”

    Despite Kuvira’s insistence that she like Korra, and she should think about the two of them dating, they never actually talked about it. That whole thing kind of stayed where it happened, back in summer, and neither of them seemed to want to talk about it.

    Not that they didn’t talk, or spend a shitload of time together. Because they did. As soon as they realized their dorm rooms were close by and Kuvira figured out Korra’s schedule, she was there every day to wake her up at 8am, just barge right into her room and yell at her to get her lazy ass out of bed. Or to brighten up her evening with a few really stupid and corny jokes. Which, despite how much Korra denied it, she actually liked, a lot. She didn’t even mind when Opal was there with the two of them. Okay maybe she minded sometimes, just a little.

    Those feelings, the ones that got stomped on by Asami, they were back with Kuvira. And Korra’s heart decided to do something about it, if her brain wasn’t gonna.

    Korra swallowed for a second, trying to buy some time to locate her voice. “That’s not what I meant… I mean like, do you want to go out on a date with me?” She kept her eyes on Kuvira’s, as if to try and keep the little of courage that she had, not really certain if what she’d asked was what she wanted. But hey, this was the time for experimenting, right? And Tonraq always told her to do what feels right and asking Kuvira on a date kinda felt right. Maybe even more than kinda.

    “Took you long enough,” Kuvira smirked and leaned against the wall, staring back at her, “You sure you want to do this? ‘Cause y’know, I’m very addictive.” And she even winked.

    She actually winked and Korra couldn’t suppress the snort that begged to escape her. By the time she finally calmed down from all the laughing - about three minutes later - Kuvira was giving the deadliest of glares with her arms crossed.

    “You’re seriously the biggest dork ever,” Korra wheezed through her laughter and straightened up, picking up her sweater.

    “Well, it’s not like you’re Little Miss Smooth, with your asking me out on a date dressed in nothing but sweatpants and a tank top. Very attractive.”

    “You just can’t lose, can you?” Korra grinned, picking up a sweater and pulling it over her head, “There, am I dressed up enough for a cup of coffee with the esteemed Kuvira?”

    “Esteemed Queen of Hotness requires any suitors be wearing actual pants when we go out on dates. And dates are for food, not just coffee. Think you can handle that?”

    Korra frowned and threw her pillow at Kuvira’s head while looking for appropriate date pants from the pile of mostly clean clothes on the floor while Kuvira stepped out of the room with the biggest grin on her face.

    “Hurry it up in there!” She shouted, much to Korra’s grumbling.

 

* * *

 

    “So Bolin’s not coming,” Mako told Asami as he took a seat across the table from her. “He said sorry but he’s got another date.”

    “Of course he does,” Asami sighed and rolled her eyes. “When does he not?”

    “Uh, briefly, once in senior year, right around prom. So he was available to take Korra,” Mako said. “Speaking of prom and Korra, how are you two?”

    “What are you talking about?”

    “What are you talking about?” Mako asked back. “Do you not remember?”

    “Remember what?” Asami retorted. “And no, Korra and I haven’t really talked in a while. School has been busy.”

    “Wait,” Mako said with disbelief. “Are you two not a thing?”

    “No! Why would be a thing?”

    “Uh, because you two were making out like there was no tomorrow after prom?” Mako asked. “Did I miss something while I was at work? Did you two fight that day?”

    “Jesus Christ Mako! You have the worst timing!”

    “What?”

    “Are you telling me that I kissed Korra after prom? Korra and I? We made out? No one else?”

    “I mean I don’t know what you did all night, it was hard enough keeping an eye on Bo let alone all three of you. But yeah, the only person I saw you kissing was Korra and you both seemed really into it and I swear Korra noticed me and glared or something so I just let you alone after, you know...”

    “No! I don’t know! I have no idea what happened that night! I thought I made out with you that night!”

    “Hah, you wish! But, uh, no, it was Korra. I mean, I don’t know if it was anyone else but at some point it was definitely Korra. You know, outside? After the fireworks? Korra went out and you followed…? You said you were gonna go look for her and when neither of you came back after like, twenty minutes, I went to check up on you and yeah, uhh… You looked very much invested in it.”

    Asami had to hold on to the table not to fall off the chair. Her jaw, though, was hanging all the way down.

    “We… WHAT?!”

    “Am I speaking French or something? You and Korra, party, making out, heavily might I add and both of you seemed really happy to go to bed together.”

    “Oh my god…”

    “But, you know, it’s Korra, I didn’t exactly think she’d do anything, so it was fine.” Mako shrugged, brought his cup of coffee to his lips and took a long sip.

    “Holy fuck… That means…” Asami’s hands flew up to her head and the sound that escaped her sounded like [a dying yak](https://youtu.be/NcLkt5HV0JE?t=83), “That means that fight we had the next day when I was hungover wasn’t about you…”

    Mako narrowed his eyes, leaning over the table, “Look, I know I’m hot and all that but Korra’s always been way too overprotective over you for me to just even go near you in that sense. And besides, you’re kinda really into her since day 1 so I wasn’t going to interfere with  

with you two, you were practically made for each other.”

    Asami looked up from the sanctuary of her palms, “Really? You think we were made for each other?”

    “Asami, how long have I known you both? You’ve practically been glued to each other since we were kids, and Bo and I just kind of thought you’d end up together sooner or later, have little blue children and stuff.”

    Asami sank back into her hands, producing another unknown extraterrestrial noise.

    “You ok there?” Mako asked, poking her arm.

    “Yeah, just thinking that you’re a massive nerd, and of various ways to erase the last year of my life and then repeat it, not hungover or that drunk,” Asami grumbled through her hands before finally leaning back and staring at him. “What am I gonna do now, Mako?”

    “The best thing you can? Call her and tell her you’re sorry and that you had no idea?”

    “But I can’t do that, what’s done is done! She was so mad at me and I had no idea why! And she was, she… she was so sad, Mako. Just so fucking sad and it was all because I got so drunk and forgot I made out with my friend who I kinda maybe totally have a crush on.”

    “Kinda, maybe, totally? More like uh yes you totally love her?”

    “Ok let’s not exaggerate her-”

    “Asami.”

    “Fine. But as friends first! The rest we can figure out when I tell her I don’t regret what happened. And that I want it to happen again. I just need to figure out when to tell her.”

    “Don’t you have a long weekend next week? Some kind of day off? Go see her in person. It’s not something you can say over a text. Hey Korra, just texting to say I remember making out with you and I like you alot sorry? Kissy face.”

    “Ugh you’re such a nerd, you need to get a girlfriend. Or a boyfriend. Or both. Or just like, start going out or get a dog. Or a yak.”

    “A yak?”

    “Yeah, whatever. Oh shit, how is it 9 already? I have to go, I’ve got dinner with my dad and he hates when I’m late.”

    “Oh, yeah sure, text me for coffee next week? I need to hear what happens next in the Korrasami fandom.”

    “The what?”

    “It was Bo’s idea! I just went with it!”

    “God I hate you.”

    “That’s not fair! After everything I’ve done for you? I’m your number one fan!”

    The second they left the cafe Asami pulled out her phone and opened a new text message window.

    To: Korra

    Hey, are you around to talk?

    She needed to tell her this, to say something, and waiting was not the thing to do, not anymore. She’d fucked up enough but this time, she was gonna fix her mistakes, one way or the other. She’s gonna get the girl. This time.

 

* * *

 

    Korra’s phone rang  just as she was about to pick up her second bottle of beer from her teeny tiny coffee table that she managed to snag at a yard sale a month or two ago. Opal managed to drag her there and if nothing else, they got the living room set up. She opened the message, read it with a shrug and put the phone back on the table. Just for once, Asami could wait. Nothing can be that important.

    “Can I get a top off?” Kuvira asked as she waved the empty glass at Korra from her position partially laying down on Korra’s bed.

    “Yes, my… what was your title from before? My Queen of Impeachable Hotness?”

    “Impeachable? Are you not only calling me President but also a lying, rule breaking President?”

    “Well this is a first date, and I’m a little drunk and you’ve brought me back to my apartment all alone and vulnerable,” Korra said as she handed her the beer.

    Kuvira started laughing uproariously. “Hah! You? Vulnerable! Ha!”

    Korra frowned slightly and gave her the beer. “Yeah, me, never.” Even to her, her voice was quiet.

    “Thank you, my dear,” Kuvira said as Korra sat next to her. “I’m glad that I’m more important than whoever is texting you so late.”

    “Yeah, it’s just… not important,” Korra mumbled, bringing the bottle to her lips and taking another sip, “So what do you wanna do now? Watch a movie, watch The Simpsons? Play cards? Read a book?”

    “Make out?” Kuvira finished for her.

    “Or we could do that.” Korra shrugged, putting the bottle back on the table and turning to face Kuvira, “I’m down for that.”

    “Is this just the alcohol talking or do you really mean that?” Kuvira leaned in a bit closer, eyes glued to Korra’s.

    “Yeah. I mean, no, wait. It’s not the alcohol. I mean, sure, it helped ‘cause I’m too big of a chicken-shit to say it but uh, yeah. I mean have you seen this top you’re wearing your boobs have been staring at my eyes all night. I kinda really wanna kiss you right now so can we just do that and see where it goes from there?”

    Kuvira had half a second to roll her eyes before leaning in to press her lips against Korra’s.

    They tasted of beer and chocolate, from that dessert they shared at dinner.

    Immediately Kuvira’s hands went to Korra’s cheeks, cupping them ever so gently and pulling her closer, making Korra almost topple over onto her lap.

    “Whoa there cowboy, slow down!” Korra murmured through kisses, shifting her position so she could sit on top of Kuvira, with her hands falling to the other’s shoulders.

    “It’s sheriff thank you very much.”

    “Seems like a significant downgrade from Beached Queen.”

    “Seriously Korra, shut the hell up.” Kuvira all but growled and bit her lower lip, pulling it between her teeth and dragging Korra even closer. “And keep kissing me.”

    “Yes ma’am,” Korra chuckled through the words and leaned in even further, arching forward when Kuvira’s hands seemed to slide down her sides and stop at the small of her back.

    Kuvira kissed Korra hard, her tongue flicking across Korra’’s bottom lip.

    “Ooh, forward aren’t we?” Korra asked, pulling back.

    “If you don’t like it, tell me. I won’t do it.” Kuvira’s face was all scrunched up in a serious expression and Korra couldn’t help but lean back to kiss her again, this time lingering a little longer.

    “Hey, I’m just joking. It’s fine. You can kiss me any way you want, I don’t mind. I like it, it just caught me off guard.” But she neglected to say the reason it was so surprising, the last person to kiss her that way was Asami.

    “Well if you don’t mind I’m going to kiss you now until you can’t feel your face anymore.” Kuvira grinned and moved to kiss Korra once again, only to have her pull back with a really horrified and disgusted expression.

    “That doesn’t sound the least bit romantic. Or hygienic, while we’re at it.”

    “Seriously, I’m gonna buy you a muzzle if you don’t shut up soon,” Kuvira growled, pulling Korra closer by her shirt.

    “But then you won’t be able to kiss me!”

    “Ugh!”

    Korra laughed and leaned in for another kiss, and then another, followed by another. Each one lasting longer than the one before until her lips didn’t collide with Kuvira’s anymore but instead, flowed into each kiss, speeding up her heart along the way. By the time she realized Kuvira’s hands were well under her shirt that was about to almost slip off her, the kisses became familiar and even more welcoming than before. But Kuvira didn’t push it, she let her hands rest on Korra’s back, simply pressed gently against her warm skin and her lips glued to Korra’s.

    It wasn’t until Kuvira started grumbling and mumbling into the kisses that Korra realized how much time had passed and how late it already was. Reluctantly she moved away from her and straightened out her clothes, glaring at Kuvira when she grinned at her. She was just reaching for her jacket, getting ready to leave, when the words kind of slipped out of Korra’s mouth.

    “You can just stay over, use Opal’s bed. She’s not coming back tonight. If you want, of course. Not gonna push or anything. Just, you know, a sleepover.”

    “A sleepover? What are we, five?” Kuvira chuckled, setting her jacket back down on a chair, “But uh, sure, yeah, that’d be great, I wouldn’t have to walk around the campus at midnight. But just to warn you, I don’t plan on wearing pants or a bra to bed. Even if I’m in Opal’s bed.”

    “That’s um… fine. I wasn’t planning on it either?” Korra shrugged and headed for her room, “Will shorts and a t-shirt be okay for you?”

    “Yeah, sure, whatever. So long as it’s not that stupid Linkin Park t-shirt that you wear all the time.”

    “I wore it once! ONCE! And you keep bothering me about it!” she retorted as she carefully put the shirt back into her drawer without Kuvira seeing.

    “Linkin Park, Korra! Need I say more?”

    “Fine, then this will do!” Korra grumbled and walked out of the room, handing a t-shirt and shorts to Kuvira.

    “Really. I’m supposed to wear this?” Kuvira asked as she unfolded the t-shirt and held it up to her chest, her eyes moving back and forth from Korra to the t-shirt that said ‘I’m with stupid’ and had an arrow pointing upwards. “Why do you even have this?”

    “It was a gift.”

    “Wow, thoughtful friends you’ve got there,” she said with disdain.

    “Oh shut up and put it on, I’m gonna go brush my teeth and I’ll be in bed.” Korra disappeared in the bathroom and trotted her way towards the bed a few minutes later, slipped in and pulled the covers almost all the way over her head.

    Kuvira came back a little after her and slipped in Opal’s bed, much to Korra’s surprise. And… disappointment?

    “Goodnight Korra.”

    “Night Kuvira.”

    Silence lapsed over the pair for several long minutes there in the dark, and Korra usually had no problems getting to sleep. Tonight, however, she couldn’t stop thinking about Kuvira there, in the other bed, across the room, not even within touching proximity.

    “Kuv?”

    “Yeah?”

    “Uh… nevermind.”

    “Oh come on. Do you want me to check under your bed for monsters?”

    “No, but you certainly are scary enough to frighten any away.”

    She could practically hear Kuvira rolling her eyes.

    “I could use a cuddle buddy?”

    Kuvira was out of bed and almost dive bombing Korra’s bed. “Can I touch your butt?”

    This time it was Kuvira who could practically hear Korra’s eye-rolling.

 

* * *

 

    Alright, it’s noon, she’s probably awake so it’s safe to call her, right?

    By the third ring, Asami doubted that thought. She let it ring two more times and was about to end the call at the sixth ring when the sound cut off and Korra’s voice broke the second-long silence.

    “Hey,” Korra said, her familiar voice sounding a bit more jovial than Asami remembered it being recently.

    “Hey you,” She said back, suddenly feeling as if all the breath in her lungs had left her, “How are you? Did I wake you up?”

    “I’m good, a bit tired. And no, we just woke up like an hour ago.”

    “Oh, cool, I was afraid I’d wake you up. So um, are you free this weekend? ‘Cause there’s something I really want to tell you and I want it to be in person, it’s kind of really important. And I was hoping I could drive up and see you, it’s been a while.”

    “What is it? Can’t you tell me now?”

    “No, I… I wanna do it in person, if it’s ok with you. Don’t you wanna see me too?”

    “Of course I do! I miss you,” Korra’s voice sounded a little quieter at that last word but Asami disregarded that and continued.

    “So how does Saturday, let’s sa-

    “Come on, Korra, who’s more important than food, besides me? That hour long makeout made me huuuungry.”

    Asami cringed on the other side of the line. She nearly even dropped the phone. Did she hear it right? She couldn’t have, could she? No, that must have been her roommate, Opal.

    “Uh, sorry. Kuvira is… something else,” Korra said. “Uh… can I call you tomorrow? I’m literally about to walk out to go on another date with her, but I’ll be around tomorrow, promise. And you’ll have my undivided attention.”

    Silence greeted Korra’s words, as Asami stood with the phone in her hands, just staring at the wall of her room, trying to prevent the dam that threatened to break. She would not cry. Not again. She would not, will not.

    “Asami? You still there?”

    “Korra, come on! That pizza is not gonna eat itself! I might eat the whole thing though!”

    “I’m coming Kuvira, jeez, one sec!

    “Yeah you will-”

    “Kuvira! Jeez, Asami, I’m so sorry, I’ll call you tomorrow, I promise! Talk to you later, bye!”

    And the line went off. Just like that.

    Minutes later, through a stream of tears, Asami managed to open her mouth just long enough for one choked out word to leave her lips.

    “Bye…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Asami actually did make that face.


	21. Let it Die

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things happen, there are feels, there are tears, and at least three mentions of the word yak.

    “Hey, it’s Asami,” she said into the phone. “Are you busy at all today?”

    “No, I’m free. What’s up?”

    “I need a date.”

    “Uh, ok?”

    “And a drink,” Asami continued.

    “Are these two things related in any way whatsoever?”

    “Kind of?”

    “You know that I like you strictly as a friend, right?” Mako said. “As much fun as it would be to cross Korra, I like having my manhood intact.”

    “Just meet me at the bar near your college, the one with the bright yellow windows, in twenty minutes, okay? I really need a drink soon.”

    “Okay, okay. Should I bring my yak?”

    His question was only greeted by the annoying sound of a dead line.

 

* * *

    “Ok, so let me get this straight,” Mako said as they sat in the booth with round two. “That pun was unintentional. You text Korra to see if she’s available to talk.”

    “Yes.”

    “She either doesn’t get the message, or ignores you.”

    “Yes.”

    “You call her the next day, because you want to drive up to her at school next weekend but don’t want to tell her over the phone that you think you’re in love with her.”

    “Yeah.”

    “She asks if she can call you back because she’s going on a date.”

    “Yes.”

    “And then she texts you saying she got laid finally, and with another girl, effectively coming out to you, but hasn’t responded to your inevitable questions?”

    “Exactly.”

    “Asami, I call bullshit.”

    Asami pulled out her phone and slid it over to Mako.

 

**Korra** : Asami? I think I’m a little gay.

**Asami** : What? You what?

**Asami** : Is this about the girl you went out with?

**Asami** : Korra?

**Asami** : Korra?

**Asami** : Goddamnit, don’t do this to me!

**Asami** : Do you mean a little gay in that oh no I have feelings for a girl, or a little gay in the I just got laid way?

**Asami:** Oh my god, did you text me in the middle of your first time?

**Asami** : Oh my god Korra!

**Asami** : You’re the worst. Just the absolute worst. I hate you so much.

**Asami** : I’m just kidding I love you. Will you please talk to me?

**Asami** : Korraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

**Asami** : I swear to god I’m going to kill you if you don’t say something

**Asami** : aghoaisdhgoag

 

    Mako looked over the lengthy phone conversation at Asami. “Well, I have thoughts. Specifically two. One I think you’re just assuming Korra is having sex because she never said so, so calm down. In the two years we dated we never made it beyond first base, and Korra doesn’t really strike me as the easy type.”

    “Korra is most definitely not easy.”

    “Nope.”

    “And the other thing?”

    “You really did make a yak noise didn’t you?”

    “Oh my god, what is it with you and yaks? What does a yak even sound like?” Asami yelled in frustration.

    Mako couldn’t suppress his grin. “A yak sounds exactly like your exasperated noise. And I may avoid papers by youtubing cute animals and the dumb noises they make, alright?”

    “I’m so going to sue this as blackmail material.”

    “Really? After all the shit I have on you? You wouldn’t dare.”

    “Touche mister Mako, touche. You play a dangerous game.”

    “Yeah, well…” He trailed off. “What was this date that you needed?”

    “Oh, right,” Asami said. “So I panicked when I was thinking of an excuse to cover with Korra about why I wanted to talk to her, and I remembered that my dad has some formal work thing next month and I’m allowed to bring a plus one, but she’s got games and stuff. But I’d really rather not go alone and all that junk.”

    “And how did that conversation go with Korra?”

    Asami grumbled into her drink. “Ugh, well, she was confused as to why I wanted to see her in person to ask her that. But she was still glowing from her date to really understand what I was really trying to say.”

    “Then when did you get this text?”

    “Uh… about two and a half hours ago now.”

    “Oh that’s rough.”

    Before Asami could really even respond her phone buzzed.

 

**Korra** : Sorry, I got lost in making out.

**Asami** : Well at least you’re still alive.

**Korra** : Yeah… she’s got great lips.

**Korra** : But I meant a little gay in the same way that you’re a little gay.

**Korra** : Oh yeah, I’m definitely into girls a lot

 

    “What are you even going to say to that?” Mako asked.

    “I don’t know. I really don’t know.”

 

**Asami** : That’s… I’m glad you told me. And I’m happy for you, really.

 

    “You ok?” Mako asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

    “I’ll be fine.”

 

**Korra** : Thanks, Sami. :)

**Asami** : Wait, where did you go for those two hours?

**Korra** : She’s… still here…

**Asami** : oh my god

 

* * *

 

“Korra just pick a damn flavour and let’s go back, jesus, there’s like six flavours to pick from, pick all of them for all I care, just let’s go!” Kuvira grumbled at the side, holding her ice cream (mint chocolate chip) and glaring at Korra.

“Ugh, fine Mussolini. I’ll go with…”

“Chocolate and raspberries, she’ll have that.” Kuvira turned to the lady behind the counter with a smile.

“Hey! How did you know?” Korra grinned at her, nodding to the lady.

“We get ice cream twice a week, I’d be a fool not to notice what my girlfriend loves.”

“Awwh, you do notice!”

“Turd.”

“Dork.”

“Let’s go,” Kuvira mumbled as she paid for their ice cream and grabbed Korra’s hand, entwining their fingers, “I’m tired and I just wanna lay down.”

“We’ll see about _that_ , won’t we?”

“Oh shut up, I’m actually tired.”

“Like you are always?” Korra stuck her tongue out, only to have Kuvira step in and pull her into a kiss, pressing herself close, and trying to bite Korra’s tongue.

“You better be careful with that.” Kuvira smiled. “So are you actually going to stay awake long enough to finish the ice cream or are you just going to pass out in my bed. Again?”

“That happened once!”

    “A week!”

    “I promise! I won’t fall asleep on you!” Korra promised vehemently. “I’ve had like four cups of coffee today, to stay awake!”

    Kuvira raised a single eyebrow in suspicion. “You got something to do later? A paper you forgot about?”

    For a quick second, Korra did some mental schedule checking. She was pretty sure she was all done with all of the necessary first semester finals stuff. Everything she had to do was turned in already. Yeah she was in the clear.

    No she wasn’t prepping for an all night paper writing session. It had been two months since her and Kuvira started dating and they’d barely rounded second base (which for Korra was letting Kuvira feel her up). Tonight was the night. There was something in the air, a feeling that she couldn’t quite place. She did her hair, shaved her legs (twice, just in case), made sure she’d showered and put on deodorant.

    They’d walked back to Kuvira’s room hand in hand. Kuvira’s mysterious roommate was already gone for break, and Korra was seriously starting to doubt her existence. It wouldn’t be too outrageous for Kuvira to have scared her away, would it?

    Once inside, Kuvira divested herself of her coat, and got spoons for the two of them. They sat on her bed and faced each other, talking as usual, eating their ice cream, making lots of eye contact.

    “Ok, for once in your life you have to try this,” Korra said as she waggled the ice cream laden spoon in front of Kuvira’s nose.

    “You know I don’t like fruit in my ice cream.”

    “I promise it’ll be good. It’ll be orgasmic!”

    “And if it’s not?” Kuvira asked as a large drip of ice cream fell off the spoon and landed on her forearm.

    Korra grabbed her arm and licked the ice cream off. “I’ll make it up to you somehow.”

    Kuvira raised an eyebrow, reaching to grab Korra by her shirt, “Oh will you now? And how do you plan on going about it?”

    “Well, I uh, I was um, thinking we I mean me I mean, you know, us and we’re on the bed anyway and you know, stuff!” Korra barely suppressed the need to slam her head against the nearby wall. Her earlier bravado having totally escaped her.

    “That was… extremely eloquent, m’lady.” Kuvira chuckled, putting the icecream away and moving her hands to cup Korra’s face. “Listen, we don’t have to do anything, ok? You don’t need to make anything up to me, I don’t want you to feel that way towards me.”    

    “I know but I just, I’m totally crazy about you and you don’t even wanna touch me and I’m just, I wanna kiss you and hold you and you know, I wanna make… you know… I want to have _sex_ with you.” Korra waved her arms around, leaned over and grabbed a spoonful of the ice cream, smearing it over Kuvira’s cheek. “So eat this damned ice cream and let me make it up to you!”

    “Korra seriously,” Kuvira grumbled, trying to wipe the ice cream off and chuckling when Korra traced her tongue over her cheek, “You’re such a fucking disaster, you know it?”

    “You dig it, you totally do, so you know, can we… uh… you know?”    

    “Are you sure you want to? With me? Now? I mean, we’re not gonna see each other for three weeks and I really don’t want to mess this up. I want us to go slow, I don’t mind going slow.” Kuvira slipped her hands down to take Korra’s into her own, squeezing gently. “I care about you a lot and I really, really want to, but if you don’t feel up to it we don’t have to, ok?”

    Korra sighed and moved closer, “Listen, Kuvira. I want to be with you.”

    “You are with me, you turd.” Kuvira grinned, squeezing Korra’s hands once more before entwining their fingers.

    “Shut up, Kuvira. I shaved my legs for this. TWICE. So either we’re gonna do something tonight or I’m going to be the only one to enjoy these awesome silky smooth legs.”

    Kuvira grinned, finally giving in, if only a little. She leaned in closer, pressed her lips against Korra’s and let her hand fall down to her leg, sliding it up a little. “Mhm, silky smooth indeed.”

    “Told ya,” Korra mumbled into the kiss as her lips curled in a smirk.

    The second Korra relaxed further into her touch, Kuvira was as close as possible, leaning up against her, holding her by her wrists and pushing her back on the bed.

    Korra had been kissed plenty of times before. Hell, she kissed Kuvira more than a few times. But never had she been kissed like _that_ before. The way Kuvira took control, the way her hands slipped down to her waist and pinned her down on the bed, the way Kuvira’s lips felt rough and wild against her own.

    Kuvira’s kisses became hastier but even with all of Korra’s encouragement, there was something missing. She may have been the one in charge, may have kissed her with want and need, but her hands hadn’t moved, they remained totally motionless on her hips. At the very least Korra assumed they would have been tearing at each other’s clothes a little bit. Even if she hadn’t worked up the courage to get under Kuvira’s shirt.

    “Don’t… Don’t hold back,” Korra mumbled through the harsh kisses.

“I’m not,” The response came immediately but Korra simply growled to it, repeating her own words.

“Don’t. Hold. Back.” She slipped her hands in thick raven locks and scraped her blunt nails lightly over Kuvira’s scalp, whispering out one more word. “Please…”

Korra’s need must have come through because the seconds the words came out Kuvira’s hips came in contact with her own almost immediately. She gasped, involuntarily bucking her hips and almost yelping out when Kuvira’s lips latched onto her neck and her teeth followed roughly, leaving patches of red where they passed.

Kuvira worked faster this time, diligence playing a major part in her demeanour. Korra’s clothes became a messy heap in a matter of seconds, with her shirt almost ripped and her jeans strewn off her with vigour. Infact she was so in the moment, the heat of it all,she barely even recognized the brief moment of pain when Kuvira, in all her lusty haste, got Korra’s jeans hooked on one of her toes that bent ever so briefly in a strange direction.

The further Kuvira moved, the stronger her touches felt but each time Korra squirmed a little more or tensed a little faster Kuvira would ease up on her strokes immediately, but it never seemed like it occurred to her on its own, rather, it took a choked out cry from Korra to remind her that pain was not necessarily good. Not that Korra minded too much, but at moments, it just felt too uncomfortable. Just a bit over that fine line between pleasure and pain, where pain seemed to take over.

But Korra didn’t object, she didn’t even push her. It was her first time and for the most part, it felt just right. It felt perfect, and Kuvira was close and warm all through it, she even spoke just the right things to ease Korra through a few things.

Korra couldn’t have been more awkward at it, but thanks to Kuvira’s guidance, she managed to at least return the favor. She assumed, by the way Kuvira kissed her right after, it was kinda, maybe, sorta really good.

    To top it off, she got to see Kuvira naked for the first time which was something she was really looking forward to. And it really was a sight for sore eyes, just as she’d expected. All taut muscles and smooth skin. The fact that Kuvira was taller made it even more perfect.

    What better way to part for a few weeks than to fall asleep in the arms of your lover who just made you feel heavenly? Sure, it was a first time, it was awkward and silly and they laughed a few times, Korra managed to elbow Kuvira once or twice, but the kisses, the bites and the gentle touches mixed with harsh thrusts, made it extremely good. The soreness would surely pass in a few days, right?

    “I’m really glad we did this,” Korra murmured, threading her fingers through Kuvira’s hair, “Thank you?”

    “Jeez, Korra. Seriously, you need to talk less.” Kuvira grumbled and leaned down to press her lips against Korra’s once more. “I’m glad you enjoyed it, though, really, you sure that was your first time?”

Korra snorted and blushed just a touch at the Kuvira style compliment, “Yeah? I think I’d remember doing _that_ with my fingers.”  

    “Well you’re sure gonna do that more often,” Kuvira pulled her closer in her arms and squeezed her sides, making Korra squirm. “And I intend to use these a lot more as well.”

    “You jerk, you know I’m ticklish!” Korra yelled as she pushed her away, almost stabbing Kuvira’s stomach with her own fingers.

    “That’s the point you nerd!” Kuvira grumbled through chuckles and grabbed Korra’s wrists, pulling her back under the covers. “Come here you idiot, I wanna cuddle.”

    “Yes chief!”

    “I like the sound of that.”

 

* * *

    Korra’s phone was already ringing.

    “Hey Asami,” she said, “I just walked into my house. Can I have like 15 minutes to unpack and pee and stuff?”

    “That Asami already?” Tonraq asked as he extracted himself from the truck. “Does she have people watching our house? How does she always know?”

    “My dad wants to know if you’re watching the house because you always call the second we get home.”

    “Noooooooo.”

    “Well my mom says she’s making food if you want to come join us.”

    “Alright fine, I’m already on the way.”

    “Asami!” Korra whined, shrugging out of her jacket and pecking her mom on the cheek.

    “I’m kidding, I haven’t pulled out of the driveway yet.” Asami mumbled into her phone, “Also, HI SENNA!”

    “Just come over!” Korra yelled as her mother wrapped her up in a hug and the smell of home cooking hit her hard.

    “I am! See you in five!”

    “How does Asami always know?” Senna asked as Korra hung up the phone.

    “Because we’re connected, on a spiritual level.”

Ten minutes later, she heard a brief knock at the door and Asami was already stepping inside, with Korra’s grin welcoming her like an old friend. Which, at this point, somehow felt most accurate.

“Hey you,” Korra murmured as she walked over and pulled Asami in a bone crushing hug, squeezing her tight to herself.

Asami couldn’t respond right away, all the air that was in her lungs sort of escaped her at the contact. It wasn’t so much because of the familiarity, not even because it was Korra. No, it was mostly because this girl that had her arms around her was more important than anyone to her and the hug was something she’d been missing for such a long time. After a few breathless moments Asami finally snaked her arms up over Korra’s shoulders and brought her even closer, inhaling her scent and murmuring back.

“Hey to you too, stranger.” When she pulled back, Asami had to fight the onslaught of tears that was just begging to be released at the sight of Korra.

She was… shining. No, not even that. Korra looked radiant, with her gorgeous, brown hair flowing over her strong, broad shoulders and her big blue eyes staring at her with her pupils blown wide. She had that grin on her face, that famous ‘Korra grin’  that made her lips curl in a particularly devilish yet endearing way and her cheeks looked all puffy and deliciously smooth which only served to make Asami want to touch her even more.

Desire won over and she let herself indulge in the moment for a little longer, cupping Korra’s face and leaning in to press a soft kiss to her right cheek, just barely brushing her lips against the smooth surface of Korra’s skin.

“You look… really good, Korra.” Asami murmured as she pulled back and reached up to brush a few stray strands of hair behind Korra’s ear, “Real good.” Asami smiled and leaned back a little, relishing in the feeling of Korra’s hands on her waist.

“Thanks Sami, you look real good too. In fact, have you gained some weight ‘cause damn girl, those curves!” Korra grinned wider and squeezed Asami’s hips, much to her dismay. And embarrassment.

The touch felt way too good to be ignored so Asami took another step back, detaching herself from Korra’s grasp.

“That.” Asami started, pushing her hair over her shoulder before glaring at Korra. “Was very rude! How dare you? Gained some weight? I’m having some trouble overcoming the freshman fifteen! There’s been lots of late nights with lots of pizza! Delicious pizza, might I add! Without enough time spent in the gym...”

“Oh I bet!” Korra smacked her arm before grabbing her wrist and pulling her towards the stairs. “Come on, I want to hear all about student Asami!”

Before they were even stepping on the stairs Senna peaked her head out of the kitchen, waving a finger in their direction. “Korra, lunch?”

“Oh, right!” Korra stopped mid step, backing away slowly and dragging Asami towards the kitchen with a lopsided grin on her face.

    “Hi Senna,” Asami said with a polite wave.

    “Hello, my other daughter. How has school been?”

    Asami couldn’t help but reach out and pull the woman in her arms, hugging her tightly. “It’s been really good, thank you. Can we have some of that delicious food that I can smell now?”

    “Certainly darling, come sit down at the table and I want to hear all about student Asami.”

    “Mooooooooooom, that was my line!” Korra yelped as she sat down on her chair, patting the free one next to herself, “Sami, your spot.”

    “What, I have a spot here now?”

    “Uh… Since like… We were kids?”

    “I’ve never sat there.”

    “Yes you have?”

    “Nope, I haven’t.”

    “Alright, alright, lunch time!” Tonraq announced as he sat down next to them, inhaling deeply. “Now that smells delicious!”

    “I couldn’t agree more.” Asami grinned, staring at Korra.

    “Asami, make sure you have seconds, you look like you’re not being fed properly at school,” Senna responded.

    “Actually mom-” Korra started but a swat on her arm stopped her and Asami was already shoving a loaf of bread in her mouth, trying to silence her.

    “Yes ma’am!”

    Tonraq gave his wife a brief look that said, “Hey, no cheating!”

  


    Lunch took a little longer than expected. More like, an hour longer than expected, especially with Asami having to stuff Korra’s mouth with bread every once in awhile. Her witty remarks went from cheesy to grumbly by the time they were finished and soon after the dessert - which was, in fact, the best damned cheesecake Asami had ever eaten in her life (she wasn’t entirely convinced Senna didn’t just pull it out of the picture in the cookbook)- Korra and Asami managed to finally drag themselves up to Korra’s room. Korra actually crawled the last few steps.

    “So… full… of… bread…” Korra wheezed through the shortage of breath.

    The second the door of Korra’s room was closed, Asami flopped down on her bed with an exasperated groan.

    “Ok miss. Spill it.” Asami said, leaning back against the wall and grabbing a spare pillow. “What’s up?”

    “I thought we were talking about you today?” Korra tried to smirk but somehow her expression turned into a grimace as she rubbed the back of her neck and flopped down on the bed, right next to Asami. For a second, Korra could swear she felt tremors pass through her when their knees brushed but she readjusted so they weren’t touching a moment later.

    “Oh don’t even play,” Asami said. “I need details on this Kuvira person. I have background checks to run.”

    “Oh come on, must I?”

    “Um, excuse me? Do you remember how much you pestered me about Rox? I have the right to know everything. Everything.”

    “Uuuuuuuuuuuuugh, fine. What do you want to know?”

    “Who is she, why haven’t you returned my calls, is she so distracting, how good of a kisser is she and are you actually dating or what?” Asami squeezed the pillow closer to herself, fully aware of the conflicting emotions bubbling inside her. That she hadn’t been entirely successful in capping over the last few months. “And of course, everything about her.” She finished with a grin.

    “Well, ok, Kuvira is Opal’s, who’s my roommate, best friend. Also, her pseudo-adopted sister.”

    “What does that even mean?” Asami tilted her head, scrunching her eyebrows.

    “Basically I’ve no idea. I mean, she never really explained, at least not yet and I don’t wanna pry. We’re not that close yet.”

    “Oh. I guess that’s ok but, are you actually dating or what?”

    “We, uh… Yeah. We have been, for two months now.”

    “WHAT?!” Asami clutched the pillow in her hands, trying to keep the immense sorrow, sadness, anger and disappointment from actually slipping out of the carefully constructed dam of feelings the second the words left Korra’s mouth. She realized months ago that they’d just missed their window, they were friends, nothing more. She knew that, objectively knew that, but her feelings were something else. “What do you- Why didn’t you tell me?”

    “We didn’t talk!”    

    “Whose fault is that?!” Asami all but shouted, looking away in shame. “Sorry, I just… I didn’t expect that. Sorry. Carry on?”

    “No, I… I should have told you. You are my best friend after all. I’m sorry Asami.” Korra murmured, wringing her hands together and looking away from her. “I just didn’t know how to. I mean, it just sort of happened that day that you called and I really like her, a whole fucking lot, and she makes me happy Asami, so happy, and-” Korra stopped, finally turning around to look at Asami. “We uh… I think I may be-” Korra tilted her head and rubbed the side of her neck, scratching at it and looking away. A second later, she almost fell off the bed from the force of Asami’s sudden and violent movement towards her.

    “OH MY GOD KORRA. What is that?” Asami all but growled as she leaned in close and her hands slid to Korra’s shoulder, one hand pushing her shirt a little lower and the other tilting Korra’s head. “Korra. What the fuck is this?!”

    “Um… A hickey?” Korra grinned sheepishly, as she pulled back and tried to establish the distance again, still somewhat disturbed by the sudden closeness between them.

    “Did you…” Asami started but her words died in her mouth when she met Korra’s eyes.

    So Korra moved on. So what?

    She’d have to as well, right? She’d get over her little best-friend crush, forget all about her and how now Korra’s having sex with her new girlfriend, how she’s happy and enjoying herself and how Asami will never get to have that, with her.

    Korra moved on and found someone better. Asami will move on as well. In time, she might even find someone better.

    “We… Yeah, three days ago.” Korra’s lips curled in a smile and her cheeks gained a red tint. “It felt really good, Asami.”

    Try as she may, Asami still didn’t manage to prepare herself for the words that came out of Korra’s mouth. Of course she was having sex with her girlfriend, it was normal and expected of her to. But when Asami looked in her eyes, those beautiful, brilliant blue eyes with the colours of the ocean and the sky all somehow mixed in there, Asami came to one conclusion that broke the walls she’d been putting around all those feelings she had for Korra.

    No matter how fast she moved on or how hard she might try, she’ll never find anyone as good as Korra. It just couldn’t happen.

    The pain was too much, too soon. Asami squirmed until she slipped off the bed, much to Korra’s confusion.

    “Sorry I just, I really need to pee, all that juice… from the lunch, I uh… I need the bathroom.” Asami managed to stutter out the words as she rushed out of the room, almost slamming the door behind herself and leaving a very confused and mildly startled Korra staring after her. The second she was out in the hallway, the dams were broken. The little cracks that had been hammered into the dam by Korra had finally reached critical mass and shattered the carefully erected walls.

    She’d cried some in her life. She cried when her mother died, and it hurt so goddamn much. It still does, just thinking about it. She cried for Rox, for days and nights she wondered why she wasn’t enough, but eventually, the tears dried up and her walls were all back in place. But now those walls felt like the thinnest sheets of paper set against the strongest of feelings she’d ever faced and Asami couldn’t fight them, not anymore.

    Tears spilled over, dampening her cheeks, her chin and her shirt in a matter of seconds, as she rushed to the bathroom in a desperate attempt to, if not stop them, at least make them seem like something Korra would simply dismiss.

    Unfortunately, Asami never made it to the bathroom. Barely a few steps away from it Senna’s warm, comforting voice stopped her.

    “Asami, dear, what’s wrong?” Senna stepped in close, cupping Asami’s cheeks and inspecting her face. “Oh my, what happened sweetheart? Is Korra making you watch scary movies again?”

    “No, I…” Asami tried speaking through choked out sobs but all she managed was to make herself cry harder. Eventually she decided her only option was to hug Senna as tight as she could and hope the pain would somehow melt away. “I… I messed up… I…”

    “It’s ok sweetheart, try to relax, ok?”

    Asami leaned into her more, “I just missed… missed my chance at… I don’t know. I… Senna I can’t be without…”

    “Asami, sweetheart, look at me.”

    She looked up, with great reluctance, trying to wipe away some of the tears that were still falling.

    “Asami,” Senna repeated herself until Asami’s eyes met her own. In Senna she saw compassion and understanding. She knew. “There’s always time, always other opportunities. Don’t forget that. It might hurt now but trust me, it does not mean it’s the end. Who knows what’ll happen in a few years, right?”

    Asami noded, albeit reluctantly.

    “I know it sounds stupid now, but trust me. There will be other chances. Maybe this one was something that needs to grow more. Something that just isn’t right at this very moment, maybe she’ll feel different in a few years.” Senna offered a knowing smile and hugged her close once more.

    Asami let the words sink in, together with the choked out sob that escaped her as the realization hit. Of course Senna knew, she was Korra’s mother and she knew Asami almost better than anyone. Still, the pain didn’t go away. But the words… helped. If only a little, they helped.

    She pulled back from Senna’s arms and smiled through the tears, wiping at her cheeks with the backs of her shirt.

    “It’ll be ok, you do know that, right?” Senna smiled again, cupping her cheeks once more and leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. When she moved away her eyes held the most compassion Asami had ever seen in another person.

    She nodded until Senna let go of her and turned around slowly to head back down the stairs. Asami took a few more minutes in the bathroom, trying to clean herself up enough to look at least normal, if not herself. She looked at herself in the mirror and took a deep breath, running her fingers through her hair.

    “Ok. You can do this,” Asami said to the reflection, pursing her lips and blinking a few times, “Come on. Cap those bottles. Don’t feel it. Just… Forget it. Forget it ever happened and just leave the feelings behind. Can you do this?” She nodded to the reflection and turned on her heel, bracing herself for the moment when she’d step back in the room.

 

* * *

    “So how long do you think it’ll take our daughter to man up and tell us she’s dating someone?” Tonraq asked his wife. “You’ve had to have noticed by now.”

    “Of course I noticed.”

    “I’m just saying that if she doesn’t say anything by the time we take her back after break, I’ll be very upset with her.”

    “Honey,” Senna started, “She’s in college now, you can’t just expect her to tell us everything.”

    “Like you don’t want to know.”

    “Oh I most certainly do want to know. Should we torture it out of her?”

    “We most certainly should. But instead of torture, could you just make some of that delicious pie that you make so well and then withhold it from her until she cracks?”

    “You just want me to make pie, and then have a reason to try and eat the whole thing before your daughter can beat you to it.”

    “What? No! Never! I would never do such a thing! You insult me!”

    Senna simply raised a single eyebrow until the grown man started squirming in his seat.

    “Fiiiiiiiiiiine.”

 

* * *

    “Ok, so that’s Kuvira,” Asami said as she handed Korra her phone back, not wanting to look at the image any longer than necessary, “You’ve been dating for a little over two months by now, you play on the same team, and you totally did it with her! I want details!”

    “Uh, well you know… it felt really great. Like really great. Especially when she-”

    “No, spare me the specifics! Please! No specifics! You know what I meant!” Of all the things Asami wanted to know, she couldn’t possibly bear the mental image, and knowledge, of secret spots that get Korra all hot and bothered. Too soon.

    Korra shrugged, grinning awkwardly. “You asked for it.”

    “Just talk, damnit!”

    “Well I mean it was intense… like, really intense. And she’s been kind of holding back all this time and I basically had to beg her to do anything ‘cause she thinks I’m this fragile thing or whatever, I don’t know, it just doesn’t make sense.”

    “Wait, when exactly did you say it happened? Three days ago?”

    “Yeah…?”

    “How- Why do your bruises look like they were made yesterday?” Asami leaned in, pushing Korra’s shirt away again and pressing the bruise on her shoulder, pulling back immediately when Korra shrieked. “Sorry.”

    “I mean it was a bit painful? But it was nice, y’know. Intense and passionate and-”

    “Painful? What do you mean painful?”

    “Well it’s supposed to hurt the first time, right?”

    “Uh… Not necessarily? Korra, did she hurt you?”

    “No!” Korra’s eyebrows scrunched and she wrapped her arms around herself, “Not at all, it was nice and I loved every second of it. It was just… A little rougher than I expected, I guess? But that’s Kuvira for you. A force of nature.” Korra grinned, leaning back against the wall.

    “Still, it’s not supposed to be painful, Korra. Maybe like a little but not uncomfortable and you’re definitely not supposed to have marks visible for so long…” Asami’s voice wandered off as her eyes slipped down Korra’s form. “Do you have any more marks?”

    “Yeah…” Korra’s grin turned into a sheepish one as her hand fell down to the hem of her shirt and she slowly pulled it up, revealing a set of bruises on both sides of her hips. “I mean I did tell her to give it to me. And she’s a biter so…”

    “Still, that’s a bit concerning. Maybe tell her to turn it down a bit next time?”

    “Why? I mostly enjoyed myself.”

    Asami frowned at the use of the word mostly. She could foresee the argument happening in her head if she dared say anything right now. Korra would certainly have a lot to say to her possible “advice”. Well you’ve never had sex so how would you know? I liked it like this just because you’re not into it doesn’t mean I’m not. You don’t even really know Kuvira at all so you’re in no position to judge.

    “Sami?” Korra’s voice brought her back to reality.

    “Yeah? Sorry, I was just thinking about that.”

    “About what?”

    “Uh… A biter. I mean, I could totally use a bite of whatever that wonderful smell coming from downstairs is.” She grinned sheepishly, hoping Korra wouldn’t pursue the subject any longer. She’d heard enough about Kuvira, any more detail and she’d end up crying in the bathroom once again.

    “Oh! Yeah, I noticed that too. Lemme go check and I’ll be right back and then we’re talking about you ‘cause I’m done talking about my awkward sex life.” Korra grinned and disappeared out of the room.

    “There’s nothing to talk about!” Asami yelled at Korra’s back as she ran down the stairs.

    “Liar!” Korra called back. “Ooh pie!”

    Korra didn’t return to the room for almost twenty minutes.

    “Sorry,” she said when she returned with two plates of pie for herself and Asami. “My mom made bribery pie again. Then I felt bad and had to tell them I was dating Kuvira and you know, Spanish Inquisition and all.”

    “Ah yes, captain Tonraq and general Senna.” Asami chuckled and took a bit of the pie, humming with appreciation at the taste. “I think I would tell them just about anything after getting a taste of this pie.”

    “Sho thalkh!” Korra mumbled with her mouth full.

    “Excuse me?” Asami tilted her head, staring at her in confusion.

    “So talk!” Korra said again in the split second between swallowing and shoveling in another piece of pie.

    “There’s nothing to talk about!” Asami countered. There isn’t anyone I’m into besides you, she thought but didn’t say. “Trust me, I’d tell you if anything was going on. But there isn’t. I mean, other than the thing I’m going to with Mako.”

    “Urmmgh during what?” There was a brief rush of panic for a second in Korra’s heart. An intense increase in her heart rate and she almost choked on the pie. She tried to tell herself in that moment that the feeling was concern for Asami, she knew Mako, she dated him and she didn’t want Asami to be hurt in the same way. She wanted to believe that and not the twinges of jealousy that came from someone dating Asami. No, her conscious told her subconscious that it was all about protecting Asami and holding her close and not jealousy. Nope, not at all.

    For a long second Asami stared at Korra, trying to decypher what it is was that she said. Despite being friends for so long, and Korra’s tendency to talk before swallowing she still hadn’t figured out what Korra said during these moments. “Oh, right. I’m taking Mako to this formal work thing my dad’s hosting in a couple weeks. Some formal Christmas thing. It isn’t really a date, but it is date like. That make any sense? I hope it’s not weird for you. But we’re not dating or anything!”

    “No! Why would I be mad? It’s just Mako. And it’s you. But why are you taking him?”

    “Well, it’s Mako, I mean he’s not going to try anything. Cause I mean it’s Mako. And we already went to one office thing together, and I figured if I took you my dad and his employees would be saying some stupid shit. Besides, you couldn’t go with me to that last one!”

    Korra grumbled something unintelligible to Asami.

    “Well, remind me to have a talk with Mako when I see him,” Korra said after a second to get her emotions in check.

    “About what?”

    “Him treating you like the pretty grown up lady that you are, and not trying anything funny or I’ll break his shins.”

“Korra! It’s Mako! What, exactly do you think he’ll do to me?”

“Uh… I don’t know? Leave you on the steps of some fancy ball as he runs off at midnight with you holding his shoe? Probably because he has to go to work.”

“Are you calling me Prince Charming? More importantly, is Mako somehow Cinderella?”

    “I mean, he does work all the time. And he’s kind of an orphan?”

    “Wouldn’t that make you the evil step sister?”

    “Shh!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, yes calm down. The two of them will get together and bone  
> at some point  
> in the future  
> but not now.


	22. Firsts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Firsts for both our girls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back?  
> Back again?  
> Shady's back.  
> Back again.

Another stupid formal event for Future Industries, which meant another night of getting all dressed up and dragging Mako out of his tiny little dorm room.

It had only been four months since the last one, but it still felt too soon somehow. Ugh, whatever. Asami put on one of her favorite red dresses, one that complimented her long black hair and bright green eyes, along with the smooth curve of her back, and soon enough she was in her car, driving to Mako’s campus to pick him up. She’d manage another night of boring conversations and polite smiles and funnily enough, it would be with Mako’s help.

Asami never thought she’d say it, but Mako turned to be an ok guy. In the long run, probably a lot more than that. He was easy to talk to, really smart and capable, and he didn’t mind listening to her endless ramblings, he even offered solid advice from time to time. They’d never work as more than friends, of course, he was too meticulous and just way too invested in his studies and working almost 24/7, but as a friend, Mako was more than great. Asami didn’t give it much thought though, their friendship seemed to just happen and despite what everyone else thought, she didn’t mind one bit.

It was a Saturday night, the sun had just started going down when Asami started to walk into Mako’s dorm room.

A pretty, dark skinned girl with super short hair, little more than a short boy style haircut held the door open for her.

“Thanks,” she said with a smile.

“Holy shit. Asami?” the girl said.

Asami looked at the girl again, for a second she studied her bright hazel eyes for a moment before recognition set in.

“Roxana?”

The girl smiled in a way Asami distinctly remembered. Nobody could forget that smile.

“Yeah,” The girl said in a familiar, raspy voice. “It’s been a while, huh? You still look really good.”

“Yeah it has been,” Asami blushed a little. “Thanks. And I like what you did with your hair.”

“Ugh, I hate it, it’s too damn cold in this city sometimes. You going out somewhere?”

“Uh, yeah, me and a friend are going out. It’s this company thing for my dad. And there’s a dress code unfortunately. But it’s just a thing as friends,” Asami said, perhaps a bit too much. She felt like she was rambling. Why was she over explaining all of this to the girl who broke her heart years ago? Oh god, were feelings for this girl who she felt like she only had half a relationship bubbling up? Asami swore she buried them long ago. Buried them under the corpse of feelings for Korra.

“Oh that’s good. Well I won’t keep you,” Rox said. “We should catch up some time. Get some coffee.”

“Yeah. Absolutely.”

“You still have the same number?”

“Yeah.”

“Maybe I can text you some time?” Rox asked, a blush starting at her cheeks and rushing over her skin.

“Yeah. Yeah I’d like that,” Asami said as she saw Mako coming out of the elevator. “Well, my friend’s here…”

“Oh, I’ll leave you to it then. See ya some time,” Rox said as she turned and walked away.

“Hey Asami, you ready?” Mako asked as he walked up to her.

“What?”

“You ready?”

“I think so.”

“What the hell was that about?”

“I… don’t really know.” Asami said, trying to piece the puzzle of her jumbled thoughts and misleading feelings together. This would require more thought and definitely more time. “Shall we?” Asami shook away the dazed state Rox left in her wake and turned to Mako with a half smile.

“Let’s.” Mako smiled back.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Seriously Korra, you take forever,” Kuvira grumbled just as she swallowed the last bite of food she had left on her plate. Korra, however, was still half way through with her meal and seemingly taking her time.

“Whaaat, I love eating slowly.” Korra grinned with pieces of spinach sticking in between her teeth. “You gotta _savor_ something this good.”

Kuvira only frowned at the sight then laughed, leaning back. “You’re such a mess, you know?” She grabbed her cup of coffee and took a long sip, grinning when Korra smiled again, still with spinach and probably some chicken sticking out from between her teeth.

“Hey, I don’t remember the last time I had a proper meal,” Korra whined, “Ok I do.” She grinned and winked at Kuvira, “Last night was a pretty great dinner, if I recall well.”

“Jesus, Korra,” Kuvira barely suppressed the snort begging to escape her, “If you continue being such a giant dork, you’re not getting anything for dessert tonight.”

Korra’s look of amusement quickly turned into one of shock mixed with fear and her attention immediately moved back to her food as she dug in, eating what was still left on her plate and mumbling something to herself.

“What was that?” Kuvira asked, leaning a bit closer.

“Muffin.”

“You want muffins?”

“What? No, I meant you know, nuffin’, muffin… No?”

Kuvira stared at her with a raised eyebrow until her lips curled in a smile, “You’re such a fucking dork, I can’t believe it.”

“Awwh shut up, you love me, it!” Korra stopped chewing, with her eyes open wide and her jaw slack, staring at Kuvira and waiting, nervously. A part of her was hoping Kuvira totally missed that last line because the ‘L’ word still hasn’t been dropped in their relationship, but she really did want to tell her how much she cared. This, however… this just slipped out and Korra could only pray for the best.

“I do.” Kuvira said after what seemed like a century of silence. And she said it so calmly, without a hint of hesitation, as if it was the easiest thing to say in the whole world. When Korra finally closed her mouth and swallowed her food along with the giant lump in her throat, Kuvira spoke again, this time reaching out and placing her hand on the table. “I love you Korra.”

She said it with so much confidence, like it was just another phrase, like there were no implications for saying it, like she wasn’t even the slightest bit nervous saying it.

“Uh… Korra?” she asked at Korra’s wide eyed stare.

“You… What? Huh?” Korra wiped at her mouth with her hand then leaned against the table, her lips curled in the smallest of smiles. “You love me?”

Kuvira groaned and ran her hand through her hair. “Yes, Korra. That’s what I said, no? I love you. There. Since you’re making me say it again, I hope you’re happy.”

Korra didn’t really know how to respond to that. On one hand, she couldn’t possibly have been happier about it, Kuvira just said she loved her and she’d been wanting to hear those words for months now. But on the other hand, the way Kuvira said it made her feel… empty. Sure, it made her heart race, and it was surely going to race it’s way out of her chest if she didn’t find a way of slowing it down some time soon but there wasn’t as much warmth in her words as Korra thought, figured there should be. She knew Kuvira cared about her, deeply, she even knew Kuvira loved her in her own way but saying it like this didn’t make it special. It didn’t even make it good enough. They were in a crappy little diner, and Korra was thoroughly convinced she had an entire spinach plant stuck in her teeth. There was nothing… romantic about any of this.

“I… You could have said it more nicely, Kuv..” Korra mumbled, mostly to herself, but knowing Kuvira would certainly hear. “This is not what I imagined…” Korra leaned back in her seat, pulled her arms to herself and looked up, meeting Kuvira’s eyes. “You could have at least picked a better place to tell me you love me, you know? It doesn’t have to be anything special but seriously Kuvira.” Korra all but growled the last few words.

“I don’t know what you expected,” Kuvira mumbled, standing up from her seat and walking over to the bar. “You coming?” She looked over her shoulder, seemingly unphased by Korra’s short speech.

“Yeah, whatever.” Korra mumbled and hurriedly walked outside, not caring enough to even wait for Kuvira. The second she was out Kuvira’s voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Will you just wait, goddamn it?”

“I’ve got things to do and stuff to study, I’m just gonna go back to my dorm.” Korra mumbled, keeping her gaze down and her hands shoved in her hoodie pockets.

“Ugh,” Kuvira groaned and approached her, leaning in close and pushing a few stray locks of hair behind Korra’s ear. “Listen. I care about you, deeply. I… I do love you. Sorry I didn’t wait for a perfect moment to tell you but I just, it seemed perfect enough and you slipped up so I didn’t want you to feel awkward. Sorry:”

Korra looked up, meeting her gaze, and leaned into her, resting against Kuvira’s chest. “‘S ok. I expected something stupid anyway and I shouldn’t have. And you did this for me so yeah, thanks.” Korra mumbled and pulled back, mumbling even more silently. “I… love you too.”

“Yeah?” Kuvira smiled and cupped her face.

“Mhm,” Korra murmured, leaning up to meet Kuvira’s lips with her own. “Yeah.”

“Good ‘cause you weren’t saying anything back and I was having a flip-out in my head.” She heaved a not-so-subtle sigh of relief.

“You, flipping out? Impossible.” Korra chuckled and slipped her hands to Kuvira’s waist.

“Excuse me, I _am_ human.”

“You cover it up well enough.”

“Shhh,” Kuvira hummed and pressed her lips to Korra’s once more, smiling into the kiss. “Sometimes you talk way too much.”

“We’ve already established that,” Korra grinned and took Kuvira’s hand in her own, “So, how about that dessert now?” She wiggled her eyebrows, unable to suppress the laughter that escaped her when Kuvira frowned.

“Giant, horrible, hot as fuck dork. That’s what you are.” Kuvira grumbled and laced their fingers together.

“And you love me!”

“Yeah, I love you.”

Korra squeezed her hand and smiled, despite the nagging in her head. It felt right. Or rather… it felt better. More right. It felt a little warmer and it may not have been what she’d expected, but she knew better than to think about it any longer. She got her three little words and for now, they were enough.

 

* * *

 

Asami threw her bag haphazardly on the couch and moved about the flat, getting herself some coffee and shrugging out of unnecessary clothes, mainly pants. She got the kettle started and pressed the power button on her laptop when her phone buzzed with a text message.

Ugh, more digging through her giant bag in search of the pestering device.

A few moments and a lot of horrible swear words later, Asami pulled her phone out of her bag and frowned at the unknown number. I don’t give out my phone number to strangers.

Luckily, it was just a text message so she opened it. Thankfully, she was standing just next to the couch so she flopped down on it, instead of the floor. She couldn’t have known what to expect from that message but this was not even remotely close to any idea she could have conjured up.

 **7735554640** : Hey, it’s Roxana. I sure hope you haven’t changed your number ‘cause if you have, well, uh, hi random person and also sorry.

Asami chuckled at the message and immediately berated herself for it. Don’t.

 **Asami** : Hey Rox, no I haven’t changed my phone number, surprised you still remembered though.

 **7735554640** : Yeah, hah. Weird. Um, I know it’s gonna be a bit weird but would you mind if I called you? I hate texting and talking’s easier and all that. If not, it’s fine.

Asami contemplated for a few moments, staring into the message and wondering whether or not it would be a good idea to actually talk to Rox, hear her voice and remember all the ways it used to make her all kinds of hot. It certainly wouldn’t be a good idea, nope. But then again… Asami hated texting as well and one short conversation couldn’t possibly hurt. Not with everything that’d happened between them and the way they’d both be too awkward to actually hold a proper conversation. No, this’ll be over before it even begins.

 **Asami** : It’s ok, we can talk, just gimme three mins to get myself some coffee, I’m gonna fall asleep

 **7735554640** : Sure thing!

God, it had been two years since they’ve talked at all. They haven’t exchanged a single word since Rox broke up with her. That break up was the worst thing Asami had ever gone through. Granted it was her only serious relationship, but still.

Yet, maybe Rox has changed. She did promise that she’d be different, she’d be better once they were out of high school. Could it have been possible? Could Rox have possibly have kept that promise?

Asami doubted it. Maybe she was doubting Rox and her ability to change, to be the person she needed years ago. Maybe she doubted everything they had because sure enough, none of that helped strengthen Asami’s faith in relationships.

But what if Rox did change? What if she was, is better?

Asami’s monologue would have continued, had it not been for the ringing of her phone. As if right on queue, Rox was calling right on time and Asami simply stared at the phone for the first two rings, unsure how and whether to react. On the third ring she picked it up and after the fourth one she finally flipped it open and brought it to her ear.

“Hello?” Asami’s voice was as calm as she could possibly make it.

“Asami?” Came a familiar voice from the other side of the line, a voice Asami could still recognize even in her sleep. It was so familiar, too familiar. She knew it too well.

“Hey Rox,” She said, leaning back on the couch and taking her cup of coffee.

“Hey,” Rox paused briefly before continuing, “Can you talk? ‘Cause it’s ok if it’s not a good time, we can just postpone this or text or whatever.”

“No, it’s… fine.”

Asami could practically envision Rox’s face when she heard a long sigh come from the other side.

“I know this probably isn’t the best time, but still… I’m sorry. For all of it. Like really sorry.” Rox mumbled everything out in one short breath, sighing once more after the words were out.

“Rox… I…”

“Yeah, I’m the worst. I just regret all of that and the way I acted. So. Yeah. Sorry. Anyways. How’s your life?”

“Uh, alright I guess? I mean it’s progressing. How about you? When did you cut off all of your hair?”

“I shaved my head last year,” Rox admitted. “It seemed like a good idea at the time. Then it got a little frustrating again at the beginning of last summer so I shaved it all off again. But I’m regretting that decision again because it’s cold outside.”

“Oh. Well, it looks good on you, suits you. Despite the regrets.” Asami mumbled, unsure of what else to say.

“Yeah… So, um…“ Rox struggled to find something to ask about, despite desperately trying to keep the conversation going because just hearing Asami’s voice again made her feel weak at the knees. As cliche as it may sound. She decided to go with the last remaining straw that she could think of, and knew would spark up at least some sort of reaction. “Anyway, talking about regrettable decisions, wanna see another one of mine?”

Asami frowned at the question for a moment, lost for words. “Uh, what?”

“Another very regrettable decision of mine, wanna see? It’s a shower, I can’t just tell you about it ‘cause well, it’s just too stupid.”

“Oookay…?” Asami almost smiled at the words, confused out of her mind.

“Ok, gimme a min and I’ll call you back in like, two minutes. Tell me what you think, ok?”

“Sure.” Asami stared in confusion when the line went off. She didn’t really know what to expect of Rox, she wasn’t even sure why she was agreeing to another thing that had to do something with Rox but something deep inside made her feel strangely warm from just hearing Rox’s voice. Not as much as it used to, but it sure was nice to feel something, compared to the vast nothingness she’d gotten used to lately.

A second later her phone buzzed with another message. There was a picture attached.

Asami felt the heat rush to her face. What she saw was Rox’s toned, smooth stomach, looking as fit as ever, and that amazingly sexy line leading towards the hem of her jeans which was pulled ever so slightly down so that Asami could see Rox’s hip. All the blood in her body definitely rushed to two places, and two places only. Her cheeks and somewhere underneath her own sweats, making her feel way, wayt oo hot.

There on her hip, that smooth, sexy hip, was some dark ink, standing out vividly the word “LESBIAN!” and a rather large arrow pointing up.

Asami’s staring at Rox’s hip was interrupted by her phone ringing in her hand.

“So, what do you think?” Rox asked, trying to keep the smile out of her voice.

“I… you… Uh… I-i-s that an exclamation m-m-mark?” Asami asked, desperately trying to will the part of her brain responsible for making words finally start functioning again.

“Yeah,” Rox sighed. “I was very adamant that the tattoo artist knew I was a lesbian. And I thought that it wouldn’t be obvious with just the word tattooed on my hip. Drunk me thought that the exclamation point would really sell it. And the arrow was to make sure everyone who saw it would know who the lesbian was.”

“Well that’s… Uh… Sure ho- obvious! Yeah. That’s totally obvious.” Asami stuttered through another answer.

“You think?” Rox jested, “I mean I think I should definitely gotten it in another place. Like, my forehead or something. That would totally be obvious.”

Try as she might, this time Asami simply couldn’t stop the laughter that had been bubbling inside her. It escaped her, rolling off her lips and she even had to clutch her stomach from the intensity of it. It wasn’t until a couple of minutes later that Rox spoke again.

“Glad you find that funny, Asami.” The smile on her face was too big not to reflect on her voice.

“Oh I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be laughing at you,” Asami said in between laughs and wiping her eyes. “It’s been awhile since I’ve laughed so hard.”

“Happy to be of assistance,” Rox said, grinning widely, “I’m… happy I can still make you laugh. Even if it at my own expense.” She thought she might have overstepped a line but Asami didn’t cut her off and if she didn’t speak out, Rox thought she might explode.

“Please, you always made fun of everyone, including yourself.” Asami finally managed to compose herself long enough to form a few coherent sentences. “I’m guessing there’s an interesting story behind that tattoo?”

“Yeah, a long one. Or short, depending on which way you look at it. If you want to, I’ll tell you all about it but uh… maybe over coffee some other time?” The hopefulness in Rox’s voice was undeniable.

Asami tried to ignore the flutters in her stomach and the familiar clenching in her chest. It was just because Rox was her old love, nothing more and nothing else. No ulterior motives, no reason for the lightheartedness she was feeling. Everyone feels that way when their old, first love calls them, right? And besides, it’s not every day you hear from the one you fell for, for the first time ever in your life. These were just remnants of her old feelings and Asami was certain she could keep them in check. This whole conversation wasn’t so bad, another one wouldn’t hurt.

Right?

“I don’t mean it in a date kind of way, if you don’t want it to be,” Rox added, cutting off whatever Asami was going to say. “I just like talking to you, and I want to at the very least be able to call you a friend. I don’t expect to pick up where we left off.”

Asami had conflicting emotions in that moment. And there was only one way to really figure them out.

“Yeah, I can go for some coffee,” Asami said. “And real coffee. None of this Starbucks nonsense. I’m a classy lady and need classy coffee.”

“Why of course ma’am. How about Thursday night?”

“Yeah, sounds good.”

“It’s a date.”

“Don’t push it.”

Rox laughed and added, “Yeah, sorry. Force of habit.”

“So, I’ll see you Thursday then.” Asami said with a light smile.

“Thursday it is. Have a good night, Asami.”

“You too, Rox.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is going to be a totally optional interlude that you should only read if you are even remotely curious about "What Rox has been up to?" Or if you curious as to how badly I'm treating the one OC we've got, because if anything has a horrible life because of me, it's Rox.


	23. Interlude: What has Rox been up to Anyway?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The totally 100% optional chapter that informs you where Rox has been the last 2 years. If you don't care you can totally skip this chapter and miss nothing, as no other characters make any appearances. This is only necessary for completionists, those I've actually managed to get to care about Roxana, or those who want to know just how mean I've been to the resident punching bag OC.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear Rox,  
> I'm sorry.  
> Like really sorry.
> 
> Bourbon

One of the hardest things Roxana ever had to do was break up with Asami. That last year of high school was the absolute fucking worst year of you young life thus far.

Her friends didn’t really know her, Asami was the only one that had really known her. When Asami and her had been dating, Rox had been accepted with open arms into Asami’s friend group. The friends that she’d had since freshman year slowly started to fade to the background. Not that Rox minded, she liked Asami’s friends more anyway.

But the breakup was hard on them both. Rox couldn’t bear to be near her, much less not be able to touch or kiss Asami.

So Rox stopped seeing Asami or her new friends.

That last year was the fucking worst.

For a few agonizing months Rox slipped into the worst kind of routine. The routine of school, practice, being absolutely numb, not talking to anyone really. She didn’t go out, she didn’t see any of her old friends that hadn’t even attempted to contact her in the intervening years, she didn’t have fun or anything. Hell, the most exciting thing to happen to her that entire year was when Korra tried to beat the shit out of her. Rox didn’t even try to defend herself, not really. She deserved it after all.

In hindsight she realized that she was well and truly depressed.

When she graduated, Rox started counting down the days until she moved to college. She couldn’t wait. Well she could wait, she had to wait. The numb feeling that pervaded her being didn’t even leave her enough feeling to get truly excited for college and escape from her life.

It was a strange feeling. She knew that things would be better when she left, and she knew that she should be excited to get away from everything. But she couldn’t bring herself to feel that particular emotion.

Instead she just rolled her eyes every time her dad went on a tirade about her “liberal hell hole” college. She couldn’t see why he was complaining, Rox had a scholarship for soccer and a work study all set up that should be enough to pay for most of her school so he wouldn’t even need to contribute to a place that was so opposite to his ideals.

Rox grinned and bore it. She smiled politely and waved like she was supposed to when she graduated and walked across the stage. She didn’t go to prom, she didn’t go to any “hell yeah we graduated parties!” Rox stayed at home, doing not very much.

Her summer crawled by, absolutely crawled.

But eventually, the inexorable march of time resulted in Rox finally moving into her college dorm room, free from the judging eyes of her parents. Her father feared that the “welfare left wing environment would turn you into some kind of hippy”.

Well he wasn’t wrong.

Rox’s roommate was a nice enough girl, she was cute enough and a physics major so she spent lots of time in labs and doing sciencey things. They didn’t really hang out too much, or click as friends, but they were friendly towards each other.

Freshman year was awkward. Rox never really truly felt like she had been herself, with the exception of when she was with Asami, so finding her group, the place where she fit in was difficult.

Hell, even remembering who she was took some time.

Barely a week into her college experience, Rox decided that she’d celebrate her freedom and search for herself by shaving her head. The summer was still clinging to the afternoons so it was still hot enough for Rox to not miss her long, long hair.

Rox eventually did find her group about three weeks into her college experience. She went with her roommate to a party that was hosted by one of the groups on campus, the GLAAD organization: the Gay, Lesbian, Ace, and… something. Rox was never entirely clear what the last part was for. Alliance? Whatever. It included her, it was a safe place for her and her predilection for women. As a lost, naive freshman, it was all that mattered.

As far as college parties go it wasn’t great, but for Rox, it was fantastic. She met an older girl with long dark hair and paint stained hands that she danced with all night and wound up going back to her room.

The next week Rox officially joined the group and in a couple of days she was already feeling like herself. Like this was who she was meant to be. Finally.

She’d officially, 100% confirmed that she was gay, as if the two year relationship wasn’t a big enough sign, the fantastic sex sealed the deal.

College was finally going. Rox found herself, or at least more of her than she had before. She was free from her long, stupid hair, she was free from her parents, free to be herself, and most importantly free from her high school and her baggage and her failed relationship.

Of course, she thought of Asami with some regularity, usually after another failed relationship. But Rox never managed to get the courage to call her.

School was fine, everything was fine.

Of course then fall had hit and she was regretting her haircut choices. No hair and the dead of winter wasn’t really helping. Still, she didn’t really regret her decision.

The lack of hair was going to be hard to hide from her parents. She figured she’d have to tell them, even if she wasn’t really looking forward to it. Rox knew how it would end.

In fact the first thing her dad said when she came home for the holidays, “What the fuck did you do to your hair?”

“Shaved it,” Rox said with a sigh. Wasn’t it obvious?

He moved further into the house mumbling something about the corrupting influence of higher education on his daughter.

Rox took a deep breath. Might as well attempt to get this over with.

She stayed near the door. He was gonna kick her out of the house, might as well not get comfortable.

“Dad, mom,” she said in a loud voice, after taking several moments to steel herself. “I’m gay.”

“You what?!” her father said as he stepped back into the hallway.

Rox took another breath, stood up straight, squared her shoulders and said, “I’m a lesbian. I’m gay. Super gay.”

The glass in his hand shattered when he threw it at the wall.

“How dare you! You’re not going back to that fucking school! Not after all of this!”

“It wasn’t college dad. I’ve been gay for a long time. I’ve been gay since I was born. I knew I was gay in high school,” Rox informed her parents. She spared a glance at her mother, who just looked disappointed in her teary eyes.

At the very least she expected something from her mother. Maybe not total acceptance but something other than blind rejection. Her uncle, her mother’s brother, was gay and she loved him and talked to him with some regularity. But then again, her mother did marry her father.

Her homophobic father who was in the middle of a long tirade about the gays and how awful they were and exactly what Rox expected.

Her father was her father, and she didn’t really expect him to react any other way.

“Right,” she said as she rubbed her peach fuzz hair.

Before she could turn around and reach for the door to leave her childhood home, he father loudly declared, “Get out! You’re not welcome anymore!”

And surprise, surprise she was kicked out of the house.

Rox didn’t really mind, she was prepared for that outcome. One of the things that she learned from her time spent with GLAAD was the she shouldn’t necessarily care how other people reacted to who she was. As long as she was herself, no one else could really say anything.

Or at least that’s what she told herself. The truth was she spent a few nights in her dorm room, by herself during the holidays, crying herself to sleep because it felt like she didn’t have a family anymore.

She knew the year before sucked, but this might have been just as bad, if not worse.

After being kicked out and exhausting herself with crying, and finally coping with some illegally obtained booze, Rox got a really stupid tattoo declaring herself a lesbian, so that no one could ever deny that part of her again.

College had hardened Rox. She had callouses and her skin was thick. She had friends and a couple of girlfriends here or there. She felt like she was holding them at arm’s length.

Maybe that was just how life was. A bunch of friends that didn’t really get her. Girlfriends that never really seemed to know her. Maybe she was just doomed to never really connecting with anyone again.

A couple of time Rox got rather drunk and tried to call Asami or maybe even just text her. But she never got drunk enough to do that, desperate enough to do that.

Rox’s callouses and scars may have been raw, but there were healed just enough to not risk opening them again.

Still she was a survivor. She survived the two years of hell that were of her own making. She destroyed her relationship with Asami, a high school love that was the most successful relationship she’d ever had. She ruined the relationship with her parents, which she knew was already falling apart at the seams.

Rox was a survivor, but she was a survivor because above all else she was a fuck up. She habitually fucked things up and she dealt with the consequences. Rox never blamed anyone for her mistakes. She blamed herself mostly, always.

But then she saw Asami, fleetingly, for a single moment. And in that moment, she wanted all of that back, Rox wanted to be the person that Asami wished she was.

Rox never forgot that promise she made to Asami, the wish that they could try again.

Maybe there was a chance. Even if it was infinitesimally small, Rox was willing to try again.

How much worse could she fuck up than she already did?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The sole purpose of this was for me to figure out where she's been, and to find out how badly she was lying when Asami asks, "How have you been?" and Rox answers with "Fine." You will know just how not fine she really is.


	24. All I Ask

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh hai there, Kitty speaking. Here's a new chapter, we're finally moving up. Guess what, there's some smoochin' in this one! And ohmygod I missed writing Rox so much!  
> Also I just realized that if you actually google adele's All I Ask lyrics you're gonna realize how sad this whole chapter actually is. :D  
> Happy Thanksgiving to those who're celebrating, happy Thursday to those who are not :D

When Asami decided to go for coffee with Mako, she was actually looking forward to it but she neglected the severity of their friendship. With all the time they were spending together, Mako had become a really close friend, nearly as close as Korra used to be, and he had fully gotten into the whole ‘I’m your friend, I think you shouldn’t do that’ territory. Before she knew it the coffee had gone a little sour and turned into more of an interrogation rather than just two friends hanging out. And to think Asami actually wanted to tell him all about Rox. Which kind of confused her a bit, but she refused to give it much thought.

“Asami, are you _sure_ you really want to be seeing your ex? I mean, I don’t know the full story and that’s fine but I… I remember what you were like after the break up and lemme tell you - it wasn’t nice.” Mako’s brows were scrunched up together in a familiar frown and Asami barely suppressed a snort. He was always so serious and had it been any different topic she’d probably burst out into laughter but this was Rox they were talking about and somehow all the jokes vanished mid conversation.

“I’m not seeing her, Mako. We’re just... we’re reviving an old friendship. We were friends first, then everything else and I won’t ignore that because of mistakes done in the past. We’ve both grown since then.” Asami said, and she’d may even have fooled herself, had it not been for that annoying little voice in her head saying how it’s not really nice lying to Mako.

“Are you sure about that? Are you really _just friends_?”

Mako sure knew how to push her buttons. And he could practically smell the lie.

“Yes.” Asami shifted in her seat, faltering under his gaze. “Okay no. Maybe? I don’t know, ok?!” She brought a hand up to her head, rubbing at her temple. “I just… She’s changed. I changed. We’re both different people.”

Mako stared at her for a few more excruciating moments before taking a long breath and sighing deeply. “Well if you know what you’re doing.”

“I do.” Asami smiled meekly, trying to hold on that little piece of confidence she still had left.

So she didn’t know exactly what was happening between her and Rox and she couldn’t think of a single reason why she was even seeing her. Rox hurt her real bad and as much as time is supposed to heal all wounds, scars were still there. But Asami also liked to think she’d matured in those few years - she sure felt more mature, despite all the drama going on with Korra. Asami  knew the old ‘forgive and forget’ saying might backfire but for once in her life, she wasn’t going to miss out on a good thing. She still wasn’t sure what she wanted, but if hanging out with Rox made her smile and forget about all her current problems, Asami was going to keep seeing her. In a platonic, non-whatsoever-romantic way. No feelings, or strings, attached.

Or so she told herself.

“Well I have to run, I’ve some things to do,” Mako mumbled as he got up and moved to get the check. “This one’s on me, you can get the next one. You coming with or?”

“I’m actually meeting Rox here in a few minutes,” Asami grinned sheepishly, shifting in her seat before she got up, “But I’ll move to the bar.”

Mako raised a single eyebrow but shrugged it off. “Suit yourself. Talk to you later?”

“Yeah,” Asami smiled, waving to him moments before he disappeared out the door. She grabbed her purse and moved over to the bar, settling on one of the bar stools in the corner. There was one free next to her and of course, some random guy thought he’d fill it up.

“Hey,” He leaned against the bar, practically crawling into Asami’s personal space, “What’s a pretty girl such as yourself doing all alone on a Friday evening?”

Asami shifted in her spot, nodded when the bartender asked if she wanted another glass of wine then gave the guy a once over. “I’m actually waiting for someone,” She mumbled and moved to pull out her phone from her bag when the guy’s hand on her shoulder stopped her.

“Aww, I bet I’d be much better company.” The guy’s voice was not something she enjoyed. In fact, it was really annoying. She turned to him, intent on twisting his wrist if he didn’t let go in the next minute but somewhere in that few seconds Rox seemed to appear behind the guy.

“Is there a problem here?” She asked, moving to stand next to where Asami was sitting. She leaned in close, certainly too close if the thumping of Asami’s heart was anything to go by, placed a hand on Asami’s and whispered close to her ear. “You ok?”

“Yeah,” Asami mumbled, trying hard not to enjoy the pleasant shiver that ran down her spine the second Rox’s breath tickled her ear. “The gentleman was just leaving.” Asami turned to the guy and nodded, raising an eyebrow.

Luckily, it was still fairly early and the guy seemed to take the hint immediately. He nodded with a dumbfounded expression on his face and moved away, freeing the other chair. Rox pulled it closer and settled on it, smiling at Asami.

“Hey, you good?” She asked, her hand still on top of Asami’s own.

“Ye-yeah.” Asami stuttered momentarily, fighting a giant internal battle. On the one side were these sudden feelings she was experiencing, the heat and warmth of Rox’s touch, the familiarity of it and the way it seemed to spark her heart into overdrive but on the other side there was that conflicting fear and uncertainty, almost tearing her insides apart. A part of her wanted to shrug Rox’s hand off and the other part wanted to turn her own hand and embrace Rox’s. Stupid feelings. Did they have to pick this exact moment to appear?

“Sure?” Rox squeezed her hand then removed her own as she turned to the bartender and ordered herself a beer.

“Mhm” Asami hummed, more to reassure herself than to answer Rox’s question. Suddenly her hand felt much colder than before Rox had touched her.

“Sorry I’m late, I had to finish some stuff for uni.”

“It’s ok, you’re not late, I was here early anyway.” Asami finally decided on brushing off the conflicting feelings, at least for the moment, and turned to look at Rox with her glass of wine in her hand. “I had coffee with Mako so I just stayed to wait for you.”

“Oh, cool,” Rox turned to meet her eyes, smiling widely, “How’s he doing? Haven’t seen him since high-school.”

“He’s great actually, the best I can remember him being.”

“Yeah? Well that’s great to hear. “Are he and Korra still together?”

Asami recoiled at the mention of Korra’s name. Of all the people, her not-so-much-a-best-friend-as-she-is-a-crush was the last thing Asami wanted to talk about, especially with all these stupid things she seemed to be feeling. She took a sip and steadied herself, avoiding Rox’s gaze for a moment.

“Weren’t you there when they broke up?”

“I was, yeah, but I always thought they’d get back together, despite how different they are. Opposites attract, you know?” Rox teased, smirking.

“Well that was a definite break up. They’re still good friends but Korra has a… she has a girlfriend now.”

Rox almost spat out the sip of beer she’d just taken. “What?!”

“Yeah…” The conversation wasn’t at all leading away from Korra and Asami shifted uncomfortably in her seat, taking another sip then seconds later, another. “She’s dating some girl she met in college.”

“Whoa whoa whoa. Stop right there. Are you telling me Korra’s been gay all this time? How did I miss that I mean the signs were there…”

“The signs?” Asami glanced at her, confused. “What signs?”

“Well you know, soccer, kind of rough around the edges, all action and reaction, muscles and all that,” Asami had to take another sip after those words, “And I swear she used to check out girls in the locker room.”

“What?” Asami couldn’t help but laugh, “You are so wrong! Korra’s as gay as any of us - she didn’t know until it hit her.”

“I guess you could say that,” Rox grinned, “So how long have they been together? Is it something serious?”

Asami’s smile faded once more and she took another sip, downing the wine. “Pretty. It’s been a while now, we haven’t really spoken much since they started dating.”

“Ah, the usual.” Rox concluded, sipping on her beer. “Well you have me to keep you company now. If you want to, of course. I mean I’d be happy to but only if you want me to be here, otherwise I’m leaving right away.” If Asami hadn’t known any better, she’d almost laugh the words off but the serious tone in Rox’s voice told her she was more than serious.

“No, I’m… glad you’re here. It’s nice to talk to you again. I’ve… I’ve missed it.” Asami finally admitted. Once more it felt like she did it more for herself than anyone else.

Rox leaned over, much closer than she’d been so far, and mumbled in a sweet, soft voice. “I’m really happy to be here, Asami. Happier I’ve been in a while.”

Asami only smiled at the words. She couldn’t manage anything else, not with the way Rox was staring at her and the way it seemed as if all she could see was Asami. No, Asami couldn’t force even a single word out, not with how smitten she suddenly felt, and all that from one single look.

“What say you we have a few more drinks and go catch a movie?” Rox said as she pulled back and took a sip of her beer. “I heard there’s some good comedy playing this week and I could use a good laugh.”

“That… doesn’t sound half as bad.” Asami smiled and called the bartender over, “One more of each, please.” When she turned back to face Rox, she barely had enough time to suppress a blush. “What?” She asked, looking curiously. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

“No reason,” Rox said and leaned against the bar with her elbow on it, “I like watching you but I can stop if it makes you feel uncomfortable.”

“I… No, it’s fine, I just… I’m not used to it.”

“Well sorry,” Rox rubbed the back of her neck with her free hand, “It’s just, I spent so much time trying not to think about you and trying to stop myself from fantasizing and thinking up scenarios because I fucked up, badly and-”

“Rox…”

“No, Asami, let me speak. I need to get this out in the open.”

Asami squirmed a little in her seat and took another sip of her wine when the bartender refilled it, but she nodded nonetheless and settled more comfortably in her chair.

“I know what I did was stupid, childish and so immature and I’ve spent countless nights beating myself up over it and crying because it was the hardest decision I’d ever had to make.”

Asami kept her gaze steady on Rox, even though her words were becoming harder and harder to take in.

“When I got to college and realized I could, no, that I should, be myself despite what my parents might think and that there’s always gonna be a reason for me to hide away from my feelings, I decided I didn’t want to hide anymore. Hence the hair and that stupid tattoo and every single girl I’ve dated since and every time I got drunk and tried to call you. It’s all because I know what a mistake I made and who I lost. I lost you, Asami, the best thing that ever happened to me in this stupid shitty life I’m leading.”

Asami couldn’t take it anymore. She sniffled and reached up to wipe at her cheek when she felt warmth and wetness slide down it. Rox was hitting so close to home, hell, Rox wasn’t just knocking on her walls, she was tearing them down with the force of a hurricane and all that time Asami spent building them up was lost in the forest of Rox’s eyes. She couldn’t bare to look away but looking at Rox was just as painful so she reached up and brushed away her tears then took another sip of her wine and nodded a ‘yes’ when Rox asked if she was ok.

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just… Rox, I understand now.”

“No, Asami, I shouldn’t have been like that. I shouldn’t have acted the way I have and above all I… I shouldn’t have left you. I know it wasn’t easy and I know I was a dick. Hell, Korra sure told me I was…”

Asami chuckled through her tears, “She actually hit you, I still can’t get over that.”

“Yeah she must really love you.”

“Yeah…” Asami sniffled once more. “But Rox, really. We’re ok, I was hurt, yeah, and it sure as hell still stings but, don’t beat yourself up about it. I’m okay now. We’re good, ok?”

Rox smiled and without even realizing, reached up and pushed a lock of hair behind Asami’s ear. “You still know just the right things to say to make me feel better about myself.”

“I could say the same to you.”

“Um… well… feel free to say no to this,” Rox all but whispered, “but I kinda want to kiss you again.”

“I… really want to say yes,” Asami whispered back. “But…”

“But…” Rox repeated and leaned back slightly. “We have drinks that are getting warm. And I think we should probably pay our tab if we want to reach that movie that we wanted to see.”

“I think you’re right.” Asami smiled and leaned back, sipping on her wine. “Don’t wanna miss a night of popcorn and uh… What’s the name of the movie?”

“Haha, you know what? I have no idea.” Rox patted her hand and stood up. “I’m sure there is a movie playing somewhere. Let’s just ask the bartender, they usually know everything.”

“Seriously.” Asami grumbled but Rox was already back at the bar talking to the bartender. When she returned she had a victorious smirk on her face.

“Told ya. We’re watching Despicable Me!”

“Uh…”

“He says it’s great!”

“Well if _he_ says so…”

“Come on, you’re in great company, how lousy could the night turn out to be?”

“Smooth.” Asami grinned and wrapped her hands around Rox’s arm. “Well then, Miss, lead on.”

“Aye aye cap’n.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

“So we finally get to see the casa de Korra?” Opal asked from the backseat.

“Why did we agree to take Opal with us?” Kuvira asked, also cramped from the backseat.

“Because of my sweet jokes.”

“Sweet jokes my ass,” Kuvira grumbled, earning a grin from Opal.

“Will you two shut it? We’re almost there. Kuv, play nice, Opal… don’t talk too much.”

They had been driving for hours and Korra couldn’t have be more excited they were finally reaching her house. She didn’t mind spending so much time in closed space with Kuvira and Opal but she sure could use some fresh air. And her mother’s cooking and her father’s corny jokes. God, Opal and her father are gonna get along great… That was gonna be a pain.

But most importantly, Korra was looking forward to seeing everyone she loves, mainly her parents, but somehow Asami still managed to be at the top of that list, despite the fact that Korra didn’t even tell her she’s coming home. Or that she’s bringing friends. A friend and a girlfriend. The whole situation weighed hard on her and Korra tried to keep an open mind but just thinking of telling Asami would mean that she’d get home and have to explain to Kuvira why this gorgeous girl was trying to suffocate her with hugs and that’s not the way she planned on starting her summer break. And she was sure Asami wouldn’t mind. Wouldn’t be angry. Wouldn’t be that angry.

Kuvira, however…

Korra was sure Kuvira would seem all good and unphased but, deep down, there’d be a volcano just waiting to burst. Korra didn’t mind the jealous side of her girlfriend, she actually liked it when Kuvira got a bit possessive over her but knowing just how clashing her girlfriend would be with her best friend made Korra rethink the whole ‘telling Asami I’m coming home’ thing. She’d call her when they’re all settled in and cozy and well fed, then they could meet for coffee and it’d all be good. Sure, she’d love to have Asami over but the house would already be full and Korra was sure Kuvira wouldn’t exactly appreciate it. This summer was gonna go by without fights, and that was a decision Korra firmly stood by.

When she finally stopped over analyzing everything, they were already pulling in the driveway. She’d somehow missed the part where she turned towards the city and their street, luckily Korra could get home with her eyes closed. Opal seemed to be really excited, she was awwing and mumbling how awesome her house looked, and Kuvira was being her usual silent self, not saying much and just observing. When they got out however, Kuvira walked over to her and grabbed Korra’s hand, pulled her close and kissed her, which was something Korra certainly didn’t expect. Especially not with her mother just opening the door and her dad peeking out behind her. Let the embarrassment start, apparently.

“My my, look who’s all grown up,” Senna spoke from the door with a wide grin on her face, when Tonraq pushed beside her. He walked over to the car and stopped in his tracks, eyeing Kuvira carefully before Korra walked over and gave him a huge hug.

“Hey dad,” Korra said, red as a tomato.

“Hey sweetie,” Tonraq mumbled, running a hand through her hair, “Well you’ve certainly grown up.” He grinned and turned to Kuvira and Opal who were both somehow frozen in their spot, either fearing or admiring the imposing figure in front of them.

“Hi.” Kuvira was the first to speak, “I’m Kuvira, Korra’s gi-”

“Girlfriend.” Tonraq finished for her, “We know. And we’re happy to have you here, Kuvira. I’m Tonraq and that gorgeous woman behind me is Senna.” He gestured over his shoulder with a wide smile. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Korra’s hasn’t managed to shut up about you in months.”

“Oh, really?” Kuvira raised an eyebrow and glanced towards Korra who seemed to have only grown even redder in her cheeks. “I’ve heard a thing or two about you too, sir. And your lovely wife.”

“Oh? It’s all lies I tell you. We’re not really what she says we are.” Tonraq grinned when Kuvira chuckled at his words, then he turned to meet Opal’s eyes. “And this lovely young lady must be Opal.”

“R-Right,” Opal managed through a small stutter, “It’s really nice to meet you sir, Korra really talks a whole lot about you and she’s always neglected to mention how uh… short she is compared to _you_.”

Korra glared at her and Kuvira couldn’t suppress laughing out, much like Tonraq.

“Hah! I like this one!” Tonraq boomed through his laughter, picked up their bags and carried them inside.

Senna pulled Korra into a long, warm hug and Korra seemed to melt in her arms, inhaling deeply and squeezing her mother close to herself. To say she missed them both would be such an understatement. When they finally managed to pull back, Kuvira was already offering her hand and Opal was waving by her side.

After dinner was over and the girls finally got to settle in their rooms, Korra was lying on her bed with Kuvira sitting next to her and scribbling something in her notebook. Opal got to sleep in their guest room and despite their teasing, Senna and Tonraq didn’t actually make Kuvira sleep in the guest room as well. When she finished with her notes she quickly turned off the light and snuggled close to Korra, wrapped her arms around her girlfriend and pecked her cheek.

“So what’s on the agenda tomorrow?”

“Well,” Korra murmured, brushing her fingers over Kuvira’s arm, “I was thinking you two could meet my best friend?”

“Sure,” Kuvira said and placed another kiss on her cheek, “Just not too early.”

“Hello? Are you sure you’re Kuvira ‘cause she knows I hate mornings.”

“So no early breakfasts in the household?”

“Nope, mom and dad know I hate waking up early. So a coffee with Asami tomorrow afternoon?”

“Yeah, ok.”

“I just need to send her a text,” Korra mumbled and reached over for her phone, typed up a quick message and sent it. “There, all done.”

“You sure she’ll be able to make it?”

“Definitely, we haven’t seen each other so long, I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to see me, and happy to meet my amazing girlfriend.”

“Mmm,” Kuvira nuzzled Korra’s neck and pressed a kiss there, “Keep complimenting me like that and I’ll get cocky.”

“Trust me, darling, you’re plenty cocky.” Korra teased and reached up to poke Kuvira’s nose before she leaned up and pressed a kiss to her lips.

“Oh puh-lease.”

 

* * *

 

“Well now I can’t make up my mind which movie I like better.” Asami grumbled and squeezed the box of popcorn in her hands.

“Please, you obviously enjoyed Despicable Me much more than this one, I mean you have been talking about stealing the moon for a week now.” Rox teased and nudged Asami’s shoulder as they walked towards the park.

“Hey, it’s something you need to think through, stealing the moon isn’t as easy as-”

“Stealing my heart?” Rox cooed, nudging Asami’s shoulder again and batting her eyelashes.

“Are you trying to be as smooth as Flynn from the movie? ‘Cause I don’t have a frying pan to whack you with and I don’t think I’m Rapunzel, despite my awesome hair.” Asami chuckled and stopped in her tracks when she heard her phone notifying her that she got a text message. “Hold on-”

“Asami?”

“Hm?” Asami didn’t actually manage to grab her phone, what with the popcorn in her hands and the way Rox was staring at her. She swallowed the lump in her throat and spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. “Yes?”

“May I kiss you?”

Asami really wanted to say no, she knew what kissing Rox would do to her but, in all honesty, what she wanted even more than saying no was to just lean forward and press her lips to Rox’s. In that short few seconds that she hesitated Rox pulled back ever so slightly and for fear of losing the tenderness of the moment or just losing Rox once again, Asami nodded a yes and swallowed once again just before Rox’s lips were on hers.

And it felt good. It felt better than anything had in a long time. It was familiar and warm, tender and careful - all the things Rox was to her. But then Rox moved closer and her hands found their way to Asami’s face, the kiss grew deeper and suddenly it was everything Asami had been wishing for. Strong, confident, brave and safe. All Asami knew Rox could be, all she seemed to have become. The popcorn fell down when she reached out and slid her arms around Rox’s waist, pulled herself close and leaned into her.

“Whoa.” Rox whispered when they finally stopped kissing a minute or two later. She remained close, with her forehead pressed to Asami’s, and their noses touching. Her hands were still on Asami’s face, she was brushing Asami’s cheeks gently with her thumbs and trying to take in as much of Asami’s scent as she could.

“Whoa indeed.” Asami finally murmured when she found her voice. She’d have tightened her hold but Rox was already as close as possible so she simply smiled and leaned up to peck Rox’s nose. “So that just happened.”

“Do you… regret it?” Rox asked with all her confidence suddenly vanishing as she pulled all the way back. “Should I have not kissed you?”

And there she was. Standing in front of her was the same girl Asami fell in love with all those years ago, the same uncertain and yet confident girl, the one that managed to take her breath away with only one look and still did so, the girl that shattered her heart into million pieces and now, somehow… she was there, kissing her and maybe even putting those pieces back together. But what mattered most was that this girl, no matter how different, how much more confident, open and free, how strong she’d become, she was still Rox. She was still nervous and warm, sweet and so small yet so grown.

“No, Rox. What you shouldn’t be doing is standing there, not kissing me.” Asami’s lips curled in a smile and she tilted her head to the side slightly staring at Rox in confusion. “Well, what are you waiting for?”

“Just… savoring this moment. I don’t want to forget this.” Seconds later Rox’s lips were back on Asami’s and it felt so good that it was almost surreal.

Asami was much too distracted by Rox and her familiar lips to read the text then, but her phone still blinked with the unread message sent by Korra, saying, “Hey, I’m in town and we should get coffee tomorrow. I want you to meet Kuvira. Please?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so, do you hate us yet? Well, if not, I hope you're all ready for the next chapter. Because with it, everything's starting to go downhill. And I suggest you have a first aid kit ready.


	25. Never There

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn this was a tiring chapter. And it's really long. As in, over 6,4k words long. Bring on the hate.

Asami was nervous. For a date. That wasn’t even _her_ date! She was meeting one of her oldest friends for coffee and she doubly nervous because her oldest friend just so happened to be bringing her first, and super serious, girlfriend to said coffee.

Why was she so nervous? It was just a stupid coffee date with a friend she had some mixed feelings for, but that was all behind her. Right?

Ugh, this was gonna be a disaster.

Asami felt like she was going to be interviewing for a job. Why was coffee with Korra a formal event suddenly? Formal always felt cold to Asami. Cold wasn’t Korra.

She couldn’t stand this weird, semi-cold distance between them.

Damn it.

She took a deep breath and walked into the coffee shop, keeping her chin up high and her steps even and fast. In an effort to seem proud and unaffected, it also seemed stilted and eager to be anywhere but there.

There was Korra, and what Asami could only describe as an amazon. Holy shit this girl was tall, and she was built, and she had long dark hair. Another place, another time and Asami might have even thought she was hot. But now she just kind of saw her as vaguely threatening.

“Asami!” Korra shouted excitedly. “Hey! I want you to meet Kuvira!”

The first thing that struck Asami about this whole meeting wasn’t the overly excited way that Korra was glancing between Kuvira and her as they politely shook hands. Or even how Korra was standing practically inside Kuvira’s personal space, not bothering in the least bit to move away or give her some space, and the way Kuvira seemed to not only expect it, she seemed to be actively encouraging it.

No, what she noticed first was the lack of physical intimacy between herself and Korra.

Asami was finally just getting around the idea that they missed their window, that they’d forever be friends, despite the nagging, stupid voices in her head and the ever-increasing weight in her chest. But seriously. She hadn’t seen Korra since that winter. They barely even talked while school was going on. And it wasn’t even Korra’s fault, school had gotten insanely busy and for some reason Hiroshi decided now would be the best time for her to start taking an active company role.

Still. No hug? Not even a stupid handshake? No nothing other than that stupid “here’s my better version of you!”?

Asami forced a smile, feeling like she was standing on thorns.

Kuvira’s grip was crushing, and somehow Asami wasn’t surprised.

Their coffee arrived and Asami made small talk with Kuvira. Every question directed at Korra was answered by the imposing girl next to her that never once took her hand away from Korra’s. Asami tried hard not to let it show that it bothered her. It really, really bothered her.

The conversation was dominated by Kuvira answering questions and Asami asking them. Korra barely said a word or two, but it wasn’t that she even bothered. The whole time she just sat there, grinning like a dumbstruck idiot and occasionally leaning over and pecking Kuvira’s cheek, much to Asami’s dismay.

Asami felt selfish for wishing that either of them would ask the same questions to her. But seriously, Kuvira didn’t bother to ask at all and Asami couldn’t quite decide whether it was just plain rude or really stupid. Not even a “what about you?” Asami didn’t even have the benefit of having Korra’s roommate being around to talk to while Korra was so enveloped in Kuvira.

Korra wanted this to be special, intimate, between the three of them. She wanted to show Kuvira to Asami. This was a big moment. Her oldest, best friend meeting the girl that got her all crazy in love. So Korra ditched Opal in the company of the rarely seen Bolin and Mako (who was actually about to go into work). Opal could handle herself.

Coffee with Kuvira (at this point Korra barely even counted since she hadn’t really even looked at Asami since they sat down) was feeling like an eternity, despite lasting just over a half hour.

“Well this was fun,” Kuvira said with hints of sarcasm. “But you promised me some food at a restaurant that is apparently, to quote you ‘the shit’.”

“Oh my god, they have the best burgers on this side of the city and the milkshakes, good god,” Korra said, her mouth already watering. “If you don’t mind Asami, we’re gonna take off. You know, date stuff.”

Asami tried real hard to not let her eyes narrow or even have her emotions show on her face. “Yeah, go. You two have fun. We’ll talk later, yeah?” She muttered through clenched teeth and a faked, bleak smile. “I’ve got plans anyway.” She just had to add that last part, holding on to that one thread of self-respect she still had. Having uttered that sentence, though, even that piece of her was gone. She felt stupidly shallow and for a moment, even regretted it.

Korra didn’t even notice, she simply nodded to her words, “Yeah! Now let’s go! I want a half pound burger with cheese!”

“Korra, you know you shouldn’t be eating that shit. We’ve got summer training starting in two weeks. You can’t be all fat and stuff if you want to see any playing time this year,” Kuvira said as they left the coffee shop.

As much as Asami wanted to punch Kuvira for saying that, it wasn’t her place. Korra could speak for herself, she had to. But, did Kuvira not know Korra at all? What kind of girlfriend talks like that? She didn’t hear Korra’s response.

And she was already on the phone, calling up Rox to see if she was available tonight. Some serious relation was necessary. What for, Asami wasn’t sure, but she was sure she needed to not think about Korra and her girlfriend. The fact that she even mentally emphasized that stupid word made Asami shudder. This phone couldn’t possibly ring any slower, apparently.

 

* * *

 

“Oh come on Asami, I thought at least you, of all people, still had some sense of humour!” Rox pleaded, waving her hands around.

“I refuse to consider that really lousy so called comedy act even a little bit funny.” Asami countered with her arms crossed and her pretend-pouty face, walking along Rox.

“Oh come on, he tried!”

“And failed!”

“Well not everyone is perfect, miss Sato.”

“Ye-”

“Except you.” Rox finished before Asami could say anything more.

When she turned back to Rox, Asami looked like she was glowing. “That was so cheesy Rox, it’s like you’re… I don’t know...  Just so much cheese there.” Asami waved her finger in Rox’s direction.

“Shut up.” Rox grumbled with a frown. “I’m just trying to cheer you up! Even a little! You’ve been in such a sour mood since you called me yesterday.”

“Sorry about that,” Asami lowered her head in shame.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” Rox told her. “Just let me know if there’s something I can do for you. In the meantime there’s a place just around here that does fantastic ice cream.”

“I’m kinda not in the mood…”

“Ok, how about a walk around the park?”

“Actually, I was thinking… Do you wanna come over?”

“Come over?” Rox tilted her head, staring at her in confusion.

“To my place, where else you doof?”

“Oh. Oh.Uh. I… Maybe?”

“Maybe. She says maybe. Maybe. Really Rox?”

“Ok yeah, you know I do but I just… I’m really nervous around you as is, Asami. I mean here I am, trying to win your heart and whatnot and then you go and ask me to come over.”

“I’m asking you over for a glass or two of wine and a movie or something equally as ordinary. I’m not asking you to come over and give me your kidney. Jeez.”

“And here I was thinking you wanted to sell parts of my body.”

“Maybe later. For now can we just go over to my warm, cozy flat and enjoy a glass of really tasty red wine and watch a stupid movie? And maybe cuddle?”

“Definitely.” Rox’s grin only widened as she grabbed Asami’s hand and laced their fingers together. “Do you wanna stop by a store and have me pick up something to nibble on?”

“I’m sure we can think of something.” Asami offered a wink at Rox.

“Oh.”

 

* * *

 

“I don’t think your friend likes me,” Kuvira told Korra.

“What? Asami? No, she likes you! You should have seen us when we first met,” Korra said as they lounged on her bed.

Kuvira sighed and looked at her girlfriend with a very flat look. “I… Don’t really care, but I think she’s not that interested in knowing me. Or us.”

“She did ask a lot of questions, you know?”

“It’s a typical thing friends-”

“Best friends.” Korra interrupted her with a grin.

“Best friends do. The whole interrogation thing.”

“I think I know my friends a bit better than that, Kuv. And besides, she has time to get to know you in the next two weeks.”

“Yeah, about that… Could we just spend them with the three of us? Unless Opal finds a different distraction. I just wanna use up what we have of the summer and spend some time alone with you, no friends, coaches, uni work and shit. Can we do that?”

Korra didn’t really like that idea, she didn’t even think it was a good one. She missed her friends, Asami most of all. But Kuvira did have a point. As much as they managed to see one another during their studies, this was a perfect opportunity for them to become even closer. And now, more than ever, Korra felt it necessary.

“Sure. Anything for you.”

“Good.” Kuvira murmured before pecking Korra’s cheek and pulling her into her arms. “Thanks babe.”

“Anytime.”

 

* * *

 

“Hey Asami?” Rox whispered as the credits started to roll. This was their sixth night together watching a movie. And the only thing that they did was watch a movie and occasionally make out for a couple of minutes. And Rox didn’t even mind, she was happy enough with things as they were.

“Hmmm?” Asami hummed, snuggled up close to Rox and practically drooling on her shirt.

“You fell asleep again, didn’t you? Ugh. Come on. Bed time.” Rox grumbled, sliding off the couch and tucking her shirt back in neatly before she turned around and smiled, staring at the sight of Asami sprawled on the couch. “Come on sleepy head, time for you to drool on your pillow rather than my shirt.”

“Hmmmm?” Asami hummed and again and Rox chuckled silently, reaching underneath Asami’s body to lift her up in her arms.

She held her close to herself and couldn’t help but feel warm all over when Asami slipped her arms around her neck and snuggled even closer.

“Rox?” Asami whispered into her neck, sending a few sparks down her spine.

“Y-Yeah?”

“Why haven’t you asked me to be your girlfriend yet?”

Rox almost dropped her right then and there. She stopped in her tracks, staring straight ahead and swallowed a lump in her throat before finally managing to say something. “What?”

Asami didn’t move an inch but continued talking nonetheless. “What what? You’ve been saying how you’re trying to win my heart again but you haven’t even asked me to be your girlfriiiiend!” This time the tone of Asami’s voice increased and Rox finally realized Asami was half-asleep, but still awake enough to think.

“I… Didn’t wanna rush you?” Rox answered as she continued walking towards Asami’s room.

“I want you to rush me. And other stuff. Like kissing. And cuddling. And butt-grabbhaingnh…”

Try as she might, Rox couldn’t stifle the chuckle just begging to escape her. Asami was too cute. Sleepy Asami three times as much.

“You’ve got a cute laugh.” Asami added quickly.”I like it. And you. I like you too. In fact, I like you a lot. So you better ask me to be your girlfriend. ‘Cause I lost one opportunity already, I’m not gonna lose another.”

Rox cringed at Asami’s words, her mind instantly flashing to a couple of years back.

“How about we talk about this when you’re not drooling on my shirt?”

“How about we talk about this right now?” Asami lifted her head and looked at Rox with the clearest eyes possible, intent on getting her point across. “And I wasn’t drooling, for your information.”

“You’re up.”

“Yeah.”

“How long have you been up?”

“Honestly? A while. Woke up around the time you managed to bump my head against the door.”

“I what?!?” Rox almost dropped her again.

“I’m joking, I’m joking! Jeez, Rox. Relax.”

“Idiot.”

Asami only grinned at her, stretching when Rox let her down.

“Well, since you can walk yourself to bed and it’s really late, I’m gonna go.”

“You can go if you want, but if a girlfriend of mine wanted to stick around for a bit, I wouldn’t mind at all,” Asami said as she stood up out of Rox’s arms. “You could stay here with me and we could make out and touch butts and sleep together in the same bed. It’d be nice to do that. With a girlfriend.”

“Yeah, it totally would. If only you had a girlfriend.” Rox murmured, theatrically pausing before saying something else. But before she could, Asami slipped out of her arms.

“Shame I don’t have one,” she said as she started unbuttoning her shirt. “Such a shame that I’ll have to sleep all alone, under such comfy sheets. My nice butt remaining sadly untouched.”

“Uh, yeah,” Rox said, suddenly stunned by Asami slowly starting to get changed into pajamas in full view of Rox. “Shame.”

“Oh well, if you want to go, you can.”

“Uh… Asami?” Rox asked, trying to find her voice.

“Yes?”

“Can I date you?”

“I don’t know, can you?” Asami winked, pulling out a pair of shorts from a drawer.

“Smartass.”

“Well?”

“Fine.” Rox grumbled and stepped closer taking Asami’s hands into her own and pulling her almost flush against herself. “You’re such a fucking dork.” Rox said with a smile, let go of Asami’s hands and moved to cup her cheeks, brushing her thumb over Asami’s lips.

“I still haven’t heard a question I wanted to.”

“Yes ma’am. Will you please be my girlfriend?”

“Took you long enough.”

Rox smiled into the kiss they shared. “But would you be mad at me if I made a suggestion?”

“Depends on the suggestion.”

“Can we… not have sex tonight? I don’t know if my heart could take it.”

“I’m very much ok with that. But there is gonna be butt touching, right?”

“Yup, lots of it.”

“Good. Get to it then.” Asami grinned and squirmed out of Rox’s arms again, throwing the shorts away and slipping under the covers in nothing but her underwear and a t-shirt she managed to put on.

“Oh you’re in so much trouble.” Rox called after her slipping out of her own clothes. She stopped when she got to her underwear, standing awkwardly next to the bed with her arms crossed. “Um, Asami?”

“Yes?” Asami called from under the covers.

“Can I borrow a t-shirt?”

Asami peeked out, barely able to keep herself from blushing furiously. Rox had certainly grown in… places. And had gotten abs. Fuck. “Uh, yeah, top drawer.”

“Thanks. And stop staring.” Rox grinned as she pulled out a random t-shirt and threw it on. “You can open your eyes now, you dork.”

“Shut up and get the lights. And get that butt of yours in here. And you better not let go of me all night.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“And stop calling me ma’am!”

“Yes miss!”

“Rox!”

 

* * *

 

Rox had been spending the night with Asami for almost a week. And so far, every single day, their early afternoon cuddling and make out session has been interrupted by a phone call that Asami has steadfastly ignored.

At first Rox didn’t mind, but now Asami was kissing her, hard, with teeth and passion and it was a little concerning because it was happening with increasing frequency.

“Who keeps calling you?” Rox asked after the last time. “Who are you ignoring?”

“No one,” Asami said.

“Ok, we’re dating now so I feel like I can tell you that you’re being a little ridiculous.”

“I am not.”

“Asami.”

“Rox.”

“I know something’s bothering you and I know you’re ignoring someone. And I bet my toes it’s Korra.”

“Well aren’t you miss know it all.” Asami grumbled, tightening her hold on Rox and leaning down on her shoulder.

“Did you forget that I was with you and Korra during high school? I know you two. You’re clearly pissed at her. You’re best friends. Why don’t you talk to her about it? Clear the air? Or you can continue to make out with me and my world famous awful morning breath.”

Asami sighed heavily. “Your breath is awful, yeah. But I still like kissing you.”

“I kinda figured.” Rox chuckled, trying to squirm out of Asami’s grasp.

“Where are you going?”

“Well you obviously don’t wanna talk about it and that’s perfectly fine so I’m gonna go brush my teeth so we can make out some more.”

“Mmm see this is why you’re my girlfriend.”

“This and my abs.”

“Yup.” Asami sighed as she watched Rox walk away in just the boy shorts she wore to bed. Rox was right, and she was hot.

By the time Rox got back to the bedroom, Asami’s phone was buzzing again.

“Seriously. Just talk to her,” Rox said.

“Or,” Asami said as she threw her phone behind her night stand, “and hear me out, I’m not wearing a bra.”

“Miss Sato. Are you try to seduce me?”

“Me?” Asami pulled the covers further up, raising an eyebrow. “Always.”

“Well let me tell you something…” Rox grinned, slipping underneath the covers and never once taking her eyes off Asami. “It’s totally working.”

“Is it?”

“Yup. Very much. In fact, it’s working so well I just really want to kiss every inch of your skin right now. This very instant. Everything, all of it. I want to kiss it all. Can- May I?” Rox moved closer to Asami, hesitantly but with an eagerness of a high-schooler. She’d dreamt of this for such a long time that it almost felt like yet another dream. She had to touch Asami soon, she had to make sure she was real, that this was all real, otherwise she might open her eyes and it’d all disappear.

“You may.” Asami murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. Suddenly she was feeling extremely shy and all of the actual facts of the situation they found themselves in hit her all at once.

She’d never slept with anyone. Rox would be her first. And despite the fact that it was certainly gonna happen sooner or later, Asami found herself thinking she might have liked it later. But then again, she wanted it. She wanted Rox, more than anything right now. More than… anyone. More than Korra.

Rox leaned in just at the same time as Asami leaned up and they wound up crashing into each other.

Asami was laughing, as Rox rubbed her nose.

“Sorry, I was a little eager,” Rox told her.

“Hehehe,” Asami laughed. “We’ll I hope that you bring that enthusiasm to… everything else.”

“Don’t worry, I was planning to.” Rox smiled and brought a hand up to cup Asami’s face, drawing her in for a kiss. It was warm and gentle, nothing like the kisses they’d shared in the past week. “Just tell me if I do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable.” Rox whispered against Asami’s lips and kissed her again, leaning over even further.

“I will.” Asami whispered back and slipped her hands into Rox’s short hair, lightly scratching her scalp and pulling on her hair for the briefest of moments when Rox’s lips descended down her neck. “Though I…” She found herself at a shortage of breath when Rox’s lips latched onto her pulse point, “I doubt there’s such a thing…”

Rox made sure to go slow. She didn’t think about what she was doing, she simply let herself go and let her love for Asami do all the talking. But every touch of hers was as if she was cradling a rose in her hands, careful not to damage its petals. Asami was so much more than a girlfriend to her, she was Rox’s first love, one that she hadn’t managed to get over even after all those years. And now… Now she was finally in her arms, with her hands tugging on Rox’s hair and her lips whispering sweet please in her ear. And Rox would make sure to treat her the way she deserved - like a true queen.

Asami’s hands slid down Rox’s side and went to go under the borrowed shirt she’d given to her, but when her fingertips touched skin Rox giggled and jumped.

“Stop tickling me!” Rox mumbled through her giggles.

“Oh, sorry!”

“It’s fine!”

“No it’s not!” Asami said. “I have to make it better!”

Immediately, her fingers started tickling Rox’s side, pulling laughter and squirms out of the girl. “Oh you’re so mean!”

“I’m sorry not sorry! You’re so cute when you laugh!”

Eventually Asami stopped long enough to press her lips to Rox’s still smiling face.

Rox reciprocated. She kissed Asami back and moved to try and exact a petty revenge by tickling Asami’s sides.

“Not gonna work,” Asami whispered. “I’m not ticklish.”

“Curses,” Rox said. “Guess I will have to get my fun somewhere else.”

“How were you planning on-” Asami started, but found herself suddenly underneath Rox who flipped the two of them. “Oh. I see.”

Rox liked the view from where she was very much. Asami below her, her gorgeous hair splayed out around her, her green eyes looking up at her with need, and an adorable smile on her lips.

“Oh look, a beautiful woman’s neck. I want to kiss it,” Rox said.

“Then what’s keeping you?”

“Just taking a second to enjoy the view,” she said as she leaned down to kiss Asami’s jaw and neck and holy shit was Asami beautiful. And her skin was too smooth to be true. Rox had to nibble a bit to make sure Asami wasn’t just a dream.

Rox bit Asami’s earlobe and whispered, putting on a seductive act, “This unnecessary piece of clothing needs to go. Is that ok?”

Asami could feel the trembling of Rox’s hands but she went along with her bravado, too lost in her need and want to stop. And nothing was stopping her, anyway.

“More than.” Asami mumbled and arched her back, letting Rox push the fabric out of the way. Soon enough it was thrown haphazardly somewhere in the far corner of the room. “And you can…”

“Hmm? I can what?”

“You don’t have to go so slow…” Asami would have turned away if the darkness of the room hadn’t provided her with enough secrecy to hide her blushing cheeks.

“You’re telling me that I can’t savor every minute of this perfect moment?”

“Can’t you savor it a bit faster?” Asami smirked at her, enjoying the sight of Rox kissing her bare stomach and sending little tremors all through her body.

Rox smirked into Asami’s totally toned and taut stomach. “If you want me to move faster…” Her hands slid up her girlfriend’s perfectly long and smooth legs stopping just shy of Asami’s panties. “Then I guess I have no other choice but to move faster?”

“I mean you can slow at certain mo-moments,” Asami stuttered out the word when Rox leaned down and kissed her way up Asami’s stomach. “Like right now.”

Rox looked up, smiling at her. “Good, because I was hoping I could take my time having some fun with you first.”

“Still, too slow,” Asami muttered as she looked at Rox’s shirt then immediately crossed her arms in a silly attempt to cover herself.

Rox caught the confliction in her face and leaned back and pulled off her own shirt. “Better?”

Asami’s heart might have been racing before but now it was going way too fast for her to follow it. “Yeah.” She mumbled and reached up, inviting Rox back into her arms. “I want to kiss you.”

Rox didn’t hesitate, not even for a moment. One second Asami was reaching up, asking to kiss her and the next Asami’s arms were wrapped tightly around Rox and their lips were pressed together in a deep, warm kiss. It took a while until they finally parted again, both breathing heavily and staring at each other with a glazed look in their eyes.

A night lamp turned on in the far corner of the room provided enough light for them to see each other perfectly but also made the room just the right amount dark to make everything far easier. When Rox finally began moving again, her hands felt even gentler than last time, exploring slowly down Asami’s arms, pressing lightly against her skin until she reached Asami’s hips. She rested them there for a moment, kissing her way down Asami’s neck, until Asami started squirming and arching her back.

With a few whispered words and a pleading, warming look, Rox’s hands brushed over each and every part of Asami’s beautifully toned abdomen and even further up, but were soon replaced by Rox’s knowing lips. And with each kiss and each bite Rox lit a small fire inside Asami. A fire that kept on growing as Rox’s kisses grew wetter and her touches became longer and firmer. Asami couldn’t keep calm, she had wandering hands after all, and every once in awhile she’d either tug on Rox’s hair or scratch her nails over her strong, broad shoulders, eliciting a few gasps and an occasional moan.

“Rox,” Asami managed to get out between breaths. “I love the way your hair looks, but it’s too short to grab.”

“Maybe you’ll need to find something else to put your hands on.”

By the time the last pieces of clothing each of them had on were finally taken off and thrown away, the fire growing deep within Asami had already turned into a blazing, scorching flame. Every kiss Rox would press  on her body felt like a mark, but not a mark of ownership but rather… A mark of wanting. Of need and desire so deep that it spans through all the years they spent apart. A mark of so much more than just animalistic needs, something that both of them carried ever since they said goodbye to each other.

Rox brought her to a place so high that it took Asami around ten minutes to finally regain her senses and breathe normally again. She couldn’t remember the last time she screamed so much or felt such pleasure. Rox knew just the right way to move her fingers, or just how much pressure her tongue should put on the most intimate of parts. It was beyond perfect and Asami couldn’t have asked for anything better.

When it was Asami’s turn she paid special attention to Rox’s deliciously strong muscles and abs and made sure to kiss that great tattoo on Rox’s hip.

“LESBIAN!” it said and Asami kissed the tattoo as if confirming it with an action. Confirming the changes in their relationship, confirming that they were different people who were ready for this relationship.

A couple of hours later, half asleep and both tired and relaxed, Asami smiled against Rox’s skin, pressing a kiss to it softly. “We are doing this again tomorrow.”

“Mmhm, we should.”

“Oh we are. A lot of times.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Asami didn’t have the strength or the will to reproach her. And truth be told, that stupid, little word brought a smile to her face.

 

* * *

 

Rox entered Asami’s kitchen to find her ignoring her phone again.

“Asami, dear,” Rox said quietly as she approached her girlfriend. “I’m going out of town for like two days. Just do me and a favor. You don’t have to see her. You just have to call her. Please? I hate seeing you so mopey every time your phone rings.”

Asami groaned and reached out, pulling Rox into her embrace. “Fine,” She mumbled, kissing her girlfriend, “But I can’t promise we won’t fight. This is not looking good, Rox.” For a moment, Asami hesitated. She almost said more. She almost mentioned those feelings she’d been having for months. She almost mentioned everything that happened between her and Korra. All the pain and sadness of seeing Korra and Kuvira together almost slipped out but just at the right moment, Asami stopped herself. “When will you be back?”

“In a couple of days. Three tops. I’ve got to go see a friend and help her move houses and her girlfriend’s having a party the next day and basically it’s gonna be all my friends, which I want you to meet later, making fun of me and my stupid shit-eating grin.”

“Figures,” Asami teased, kissing her again. “Text me when you get there.”

“Will do.”

“I’ll miss you.” Asami murmured next to Rox’s lips.

“Likewise.”

After a couple more minutes Rox finally managed to pull herself out of Asami’s warm embrace and left the apartment after she’d collected all the things she needed. Asami went to see her off till the elevator but deemed her shorts too short for the general public so they kissed goodbye at the elevator door and Asami rushed back to her apartment just in time to answer her annoying phone.

“Hello?”

“ _Asami?_ ” Korra spoke on the other side, almost hesitantly, “ _Where the hell have you been? I’ve been calling you for over a week!_ ”

“Sorry, I was… busy.” Asami hated lying to her, but right now, it didn’t feel half as bad. In fact, she still had that stupid, dorky grin on her face and the lie didn’t even register in her mind. “What’s up?”

“ _What’s up… Uh, I don’t know, you tell me? Are you ok? Did something happen?_ ”

“No, why? Should something have happened?”

Korra groaned on the other side of the line before speaking. “ _Anyway, do you wanna come over? You know, for coffee and so we could talk and stuff? I…_ ” Asami knew what Korra was about to say but for the first time in a long while, it didn’t move her the way it usually would have. “ _I miss you. I’ll be home all day, come over, please?_ ”

“Can we meet up somewhere? I don’t really feel like going all the way over to your place and then back. Meet me at that place we met last time?”

“ _Oh. Okay… Can you make it in two hours?_ ”

“Sounds perfect, I’ll see you then. Bye Korra!” Asami pressed the ‘end call’ button before she heard a reply back and smiled happily to herself. She still had plenty of time to take a long, steaming hot shower, put on some makeup  and get into some decent-looking clothes. And more importantly, she still had two hours to practice the perfect face she’d give Korra when she’d have to say ‘yes, your girlfriend is great’.

Two hours later Asami found herself at the same spot she was almost weeks ago, yet again taking a deep breath before she finally went inside the coffee place. She spotted Korra in the far corner of the room and, despite all the stupid feelings swirling through her heart and everything that’d happened in the past week, the sight of Korra’s smiling face still managed to warm her heart.

“Hey,” Korra said as Asami sat down across from her and a waiter immediately approached them. Korra had already ordered herself some tea and Asami decided she could use another cup of coffee. When the guy went away, Korra turned back to Asami. “So you’re alive.”

Asami chuckled, “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well you know, we haven’t spoken a word in almost two weeks and you haven’t been returning any of my calls, I guess I was ju-”

“We’ve gone much longer without hearing from each other Korra.” Asami spoke in a low, even voice.

“I know but-”

“And I can’t always return everyone’s calls. I do have stuff to do.”

Asami knew she was sounding cold. Hell, she was feeling colder than stone at the moment. But somehow, the words were right there, at the tip of her tongue and begging to get out and try as she may, Asami was finding it increasingly hard to keep them at bay.

“I _know_ Asami, I was just worried about you. Sorry I was so persistent.” Korra lowered her head and rubbed the back of her neck. “So anyway, Kuvira and Opal have gone back and I’m here for another week, do you wanna hang out?”

Asami sighed, swallowing a lump in her throat. The pressure of keeping her thoughts to herself was almost overbearing. “I don’t know, Korra. I’ve got some things planned out in a couple of days.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. I’m free for the next two days though, I guess we could catch a movie or something.”

“That would be nice,” Korra smiled sheepishly, “And I- I’m sorry I was so stupidly silent over coffee. It wasn’t until later that I realized I looked like a complete ass.”

“It’s fine, Korra.” Asami bit her tongue.

“No, it’s not. I mean, I’m just - Asami I really love her and I really want you two to get along. I mean I know she’s kind of a hard to get used to, she’s got tough skin and all that, but she’s my girlfriend and you’re my best friend and I wanna be able to come back home and hang out with the both of you.”

“She’s your girlfriend, Korra, I understand that.” Asami bit her tongue again. “She should come first and that’s fine.”

“No, it’s not. But-”

Korra’s phone buzzed and she immediately picked it up with a mouthed ‘sorry’ and began quickly typing a response. When she looked up, Asami was staring at her with a slight frown.

“Everything ok?”

“Oh, yeah, sorry. Anyway, as I was sayi-”

Korra’s phone buzzed again and she typed up another quick response. This time when she looked up, Asami was certainly wearing a frown on her face.

“Good god,” Asami muttered loud enough to be heard.

“Sorr-” This time, Korra didn’t even manage to say she’s sorry. Her phone buzzed again but instead of reaching for it, Korra was stunned when Asami leaned back in her chair with a thud and spoke in a harsh, almost menacing tone.

“You know what, fuck this. Can you go five minutes without talking to her? Can you please just try for me? She’s not even here and she’s controlling your every goddamn move Korra. We can’t even have coffee without your girlfriend watching over you. This is why I didn’t want to come out and do this.”

“Fuck Asami, tell me how you really feel,” Korra spat back. Her phone still in her hand.

“Do you seriously not see this? I was with you two for a half hour and I see how manipulating she is!”

“Just because I want to spend time with my girlfriend instead of you, doesn’t make her manipulative!”

“I’m not going to fight with you because of your girlfriend but did you stop to ask me how I’ve been in the past… Oh I don’t know, year or two? Did you think about me and go ‘hey, she’s still my best friend, I wonder how she’s doing’? I bet not because you don’t have time for anyone else anymore. You only have time for your girlfriend!”

“You’re jealous, that’s what you are! Jealous because you never had something like this with anyone! You’re just jealous because the only thing even resembling a relationship in your life was that stupid high-school fling with a chick that wasn’t even sure she was gay!”

“Oh really? Remember that chick? Remember Rox? Well I’ve been sleeping with her! For a while now!” Asami yelled, not caring about the other people in the cafe. “We’re together again but did you know that? No! Because you never had the time to ask! Or you just didn’t really care at all…” Asami finally lowered her voice and pushed herself off her chair, simultaneously wiping away the tears that at some point began falling down her cheeks. “When you realize how possessive and manipulative she is, don’t come crying to me. I won’t be your stupid little shoulder to cry on, not when you don’t even care enough about me to ask me how I’ve been in the past year.”

“You’re sleeping with Rox?!” Korra only seemed to register those words from everything Asami said. Her throat suddenly felt dry and tears prickled in her eyes but she pushed the need to cry away, swallowing the lump in her throat and all but growling at Asami. “You’re sleeping with the same chick that broke your heart when you were still a stupid little high-schooler? I was there, Asami! I was there when you cried yourself to sleep every goddamn night, do you think it’ll end differently this time? I bet she hasn’t changed one bit.”

“I’ve heard enough. Have a good life, Korra. Hope you and your manipulative girlfriend have a nice relationship!”

Asami couldn’t stand to be there any longer. She stormed out not even bothering to pay for her coffee or caring that everyone was staring at her. She had to get out of there, she had to be as far away from Korra as possible. She was fuming but most importantly, deep inside she was falling apart. This was her best friend, since as long as she could remember, and this is what they’d come to.

Korra, on the other hand, couldn’t bring herself to move. She fell back in her chair, angry beyond recognition. How could her best friend say such things to her? How could Asami, of all people, be that towards her? How could she say those awful things and then have the nerve to walk away? She was at fault and that whole stupid idiotic idea of Kuvira being manipulative was the dumbest thing she’d ever heard in her life. They had the best relationship possible and nobody, not even Asami, had the right to question that. And isn’t Asami being the manipulative one? Isn’t she being a needy, controlling asshole?

By the time Korra had finally calmed down enough to take in her surroundings the first thing she noticed was her phone still lodged in her hand and the twelve new unanswered text messages from Kuvira. She only read the last one.

 **Kuv <3 (3.49 pm**): Where the fuck are you?

Korra took a deep breath and dialed Kuvira’s number.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeahyeahyeah, we already know what you're gonna say. And we're gonna repeat ourselves: Korrasami is endgame. Since things are finally starting to happen in that direction, I'd say 2-3 more chapters. Not gonna happen until next year though, sorry ;D


	26. For Her Own Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asami has some plans to make Valentine's Day special for Rox, but even the best laid plans can go awry. And something finally snaps Korra back to reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may be the most Kitty Bourbon chapter to ever exist. You wanted smut? You get some smut! (and right at the beginning too!) You wanted angst! You get the angst! Oh my, do you get angst. You get angst and then some more extra bonus angst. Be careful what thou wish for.

Valentine’s Day.

The first real Valentine's Day Asami has spent in a relationship. And she’s not counting the previous Rox relationship because they were in high school, and in hindsight that wasn’t really a relationship. That was two teenage girls exploring their sexuality on each other.

But this, this was going to be something special.

Asami Sato had plans for Valentine’s Day. Fancy clothes, fancy dinner, fancy dancing. Candles, roses, lacy underwear. And when Asami plans something she does not plan inelegant or easy or mundane things. Oh no.

This was going to be an excellent Valentine’s Day.

Each and every one of Asami’s plan was going to be executed perfectly.

Until Rox showed up at her door in a tailored suit with flowers and an adorable dork little smile on her face and her cheeks blushing. “Hey love, happy Valentine’s Day.”

One little sentence destroyed Asami’s plans.

She grabbed Rox by the lapel and pulled her into her apartment and her arms, slamming the door behind her.

Asami kissed her hard and rough.

She tried not to think of Korra, who’d be plaguing her thoughts for months now. There had been an uneasy radio silence between the two of them. She’d even gone to school early to spend more time with Kuvira and only came home for the Christmas holiday itself before heading back to school. It wasn’t like Asami _didn’t_ want to see her, but still, this level of avoidance was insane.

She tried to focus on the lovable, wonderful, amazing girl that she had instead.

_Consolation prize_ flashed through her mind unbidden and unwanted, but she ignored it.

Yet the harder she ignored it, the bigger the thought became.

“Mm, someone’s eager today,” Rox mumbled against Asami’s lips. “And as much as I love standing here kissing you, shouldn’t we go to dinner?”

“We could,” Asami murmured, looking at Rox’s lips as her finger traced Rox’s fantastic jaw line. “But now I’m seriously considering eating in.”

“Oh, really? Is it the flowers? Note to self, get Asami flowers more often.”

Asami kissed Rox quickly before saying, “No. It’s not just the flowers. It’s everything. It’s you. And let’s be honest here, you look really good in this suit but I want to see you taking it off for me.”

“If you’re sure you won’t mind missing your plans, I know how much time you put into them.”

“Screw the plans. I wanna fuck you until you are too physically spent to leave my bed.”

“In that case,” Rox murmured as she took off her jacket while delighting in the hungry look in Asami’s eyes. Her own smirk grew wider at the sight.

“Too slow,” Asami said as she pushed Rox against the wall and her lips started kissing and biting Rox’s neck while her hands went to the belt buckle. Seconds later purple marks adorned Rox’s neck but Asami couldn’t focus long enough to marvel her work.

Somehow in the flurry of kissing and undressing that happened in the few short moments since Asami attacked her, Rox found herself in Asami’s hallway wearing nothing but her tie and her panties and several bite marks along her chest.

Asami’s hands were wrapped around Rox’s tie. “God you’re fucking hot,” she whispered as she used the tie to pull a very willing Rox into the bedroom.

She pushed the older girl to the bed and growled with want and need. Asami’s fingers raked across Rox’s chest and her lips followed behind, leaving a trail of kisses across the temporary erotic pain.

Despite her animalistic attack in the hallway, bedroom Asami was taking her sweet time teasing the hell out of Rox. Her lips kissed every inch of Rox’s body, she bit every single part of her skin and Rox groaned in dismay whenever Asami strategically avoided the place she needed her at the most.

“Oh my god, Asami, _please_ ,” Rox moaned, sliding her hands along Asami’s arms.

Asami looked up from where she was biting Rox’s abs playfully. She reached up and gave a gentle tug to the tie and pulled her down for a long,searing kiss. “What is it you need? What is it you need me to do?” Asami asked before brushing her tongue against Rox’s lips and then when Rox tried to kiss her again gave her a gentle little bite.

“I need you,” Rox breathed. “I want you. I need you to, for the love of god, give me some relief!”

“What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to put that mouth of yours to better use than asking me questions!” Rox all but growled at her.

“Yes, sir,” Asami responded with a smirk and a wink as she helped Rox slip out of her fancy black underwear.

With a smile, she parted Rox’s legs and nibbled her way up her thigh.

When Asami finally got to the destination Rox so desperately craved, she let out a shuddering moan of relief. Then, pleasure hit as Asami expertly teased and licked, pressing at all the right places.

God damn she was good at that.

“God damn you’re good at that,” Rox breathed as one hand went to Asami’s luscious and gorgeous hair and the other went to her nipple to grab and pinch as Asami continued using her tongue in the best of ways.

For a second Rox looked down and she saw those ravishing green eyes looking up at her and those dark red lips parting for a perfect pink tongue and she almost climaxed right there.

In fact, it didn’t take long for Asami to get Rox moaning her name in broken, uneven, breathy syllables interrupted by “holy fuck!” and “oh thank you god”.

Eventually Asami felt Rox’s powerful thighs clench around her head and two hands on her head pushed her into Rox’s wetness as she doubled her efforts which resulted in a shuddering, moaning, back arching Rox.

After a moment or two for Rox to come down, she pulled Asami up into a desperate, but sloppy kiss.

“Wait,” Rox said after taking a moment to breathe and catch her bearings. “How did I wind up naked and you still have all your clothes on?”

Asami just smiled and climbed off the bed. She slowly, agonizingly slowly, let the straps of her dress fall off her shoulders and then let the red material slip down her body like water.

Rox was momentarily stunned. Asami was beyond gorgeous. Her cheeks, still a little wet, were red as were her lips and matching lacy bra, panties, and stockings combination.

She was a model, a heavenly goddess.

Then Asami took off her bra to show off her amazing breasts and Rox couldn’t sit by and just watch anymore. She needed to feel the heat of Asami’s flawless skin underneath her fingertips. She climbed off the bed, wrapped both arms around Asami, and kissed her as she pulled them down on to the bed.

Rox kissed her everywhere. Her lips kissed with warmth and love where Asami kissed with heat and want. Where Asami fucked, Rox made love.

But Asami was too distracted by the exquisite, gentle pleasure she was receiving to notice the difference.

Asami’s hands ran through Rox’s short hair as she moaned her name and encouragements. “Oh god... yeah, that’s it...” When she looked down, she moaned out at the sight of tousled brown hair, those strong, sculpted arms and broad shoulder between her legs.

Rox took her time, building Asami’s pleasure up slowly, to the highest possible highs she could get her to. Then, without warning Rox intensified her actions with her knowing tongue and her skilled fingers. Her speed doubled, her mouth moved in ways that made Asami squirm.

“Oh god! Fuck! Fuck yes! Oh yes! O-o-o-oh fuck! Yes!” Asami closed her eyes, letting the pleasure coming from between her legs fill her mind. She couldn’t think, her thoughts were just bursts of images, and bright whiteness blazing through her head whenever a particularly pleasurable wave coursed through her.

Rox knew she was close, as Asami only got super vocal like that when she was about to come. And so she redoubled her efforts until Asami’s moans became screams and her shudders turned into wild, bucking of her hips.

Just as Asami reached the peak of her pleasure she screamed, eyes wrenched shut, both her hands in Rox’s short hair, “Oh fuck yeah Korra!” When Asami’s gaze fell down, in the midst of her climax, for the briefest of moments short brown hair was long and those deep, hazel eyes flashed cerulean.

 

And for a single moment everything in the room stopped. Rox felt cold. Asami noticed something was different, but she was still riding the wave of the fantastic sex and she could barely breathe, let alone think.

Rox leaned back ever so slightly, kissed the inside of Asami’s thigh and with her voice barely above a whisper she mumbled she’d be right back.

In between labored breathing Asami heard the bathroom door shut.

“Where you going? Rox?” Asami said aloud and that was when she realized what just happened. “Oh god. _Rox_.” She scrambled down to the floor, hurrying to reach the door but it was already locked. She slid down against the door and what moments ago was heat of pleasure on her cheeks was not wetness from the tears that started spilling over.

Inside the bathroom, Rox sat down on bathtub edge, looking at herself in the mirror. She was stunned, she was cold, something inside her just died or was replaced with ice. Cold water was slipping down her spine in waves, chills were spreading through her body and she couldn’t move. She couldn’t form a single word and she could barely blink. Everything, _everything_ she felt moments ago had been burnt and crashed and stepped on in one single word and Rox didn’t exactly know to deal with this. She heard Asami apologizing and already crying behind the door, she heard the slamming of her hand against the door but Rox couldn’t utter a single word. Rox needed to not exist. She needed all the sudden pain in her chest not to be there, all the void inside her body to go away - all the scattered, hurtful thoughts to disappear. But none of those would budge. Nothing would leave her alone.

 

* * *

 

“Oh Korra, hey, I didn’t realize it was laundry day already,” Opal said with barely concealed disdain.

“Well it wasn’t, but it is now,” Korra said as she entered her dorm room and started shoving clothes into a laundry basket.

“So it’s been a what, a month since I’ve seen you? And we live together. And have a class together. On a campus that is literally seven buildings and is only one like four separate blocks,” Opal said lazily without actually looking up from her computer.

“Holy fuck,” Korra said as she threw her clothes to the ground. “What the fuck do you want from me? You. Fucking Asami with her passive aggressive silence. My mom’s been calling me. Fucking school and all these papers. Goddamn Beifong. Your stupid Aunt, not your mom.”

“Well I would like to see my roommate and friend more than once a fiscal quarter. Your mom probably wants you to call her. Your teachers probably want you to actually attend a class every now and again. Asami probably wants to talk to you occasionally and oh yeah, dump your megalomaniacal asshat of a girlfriend. Oh yeah, just like me,” Opal said as if she was reading off a long list of demands that she’d had memorized for weeks. “Seriously. You aren’t even remotely the same person I met Freshman year. Do you even recognize yourself?”

“Screw you Opal,” Korra said as she stormed out of the dorm room without really hearing her roommate.

She stalked across the small campus and back to the single bed dorm that Kuvira had by herself.

She knocked once and Kuvira let her in. “Hey babe what’s up, I wasn’t expecting you back so soon, but I can’t say I’m upset.”

“Yeah? Well that makes one of us.” Korra grumbled and plopped down on Kuvira’s bed, immediately scooting over to the wall and pulling her legs to herself. She leaned her head on her knees and Kuvira couldn’t help but notice the tears brimming in Korra’s eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Everything’s great. Perfect even. Splendid.” Korra muttered, rubbing her eyes.

“Stop the drama and tell me what’s wrong. I don’t wanna fight again. Two fights this week were enough, don’t you think so Korra?” Kuvira sat down on the bed and put her hand on Korra’s knee before moving it to her face, urging her to look up.

“I don’t wanna fight either but it’s just… Everything’s fucked up Kuv. I’m fucked up. I think… I think I might,” Korra sighed heavily. “I think I need this weekend to myself. I just want, maybe to sleep in my own bed for once.”

“Are you breaking up with me?”

“What? No!” Korra looked up, meeting Kuvira’s harsh gaze. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“With me? Nothing’s wrong with me! You’re the one constantly coming here and whining, being all dramatic and Asami this, Asami that, Opal yada yada, everyone’s getting on your nerves, you’re never with them anymore - do you ever stop to think about me?”

“I never stop thinking about you Kuvira! That _is_ the point! Ever since we started dating it’s been nothing but you, you and you!”

“What are you saying?” Kuvira all but shouted , clenching her fist against the covers.

“I’m saying I don’t even know who I am anymore! I don’t have any more friends, I’m failing half of my classes and all I ever do is hang around here! I’m- I just don’t know anymore!” Korra’s tears finally started spilling over and she tried to brush them off, hurriedly wiping her cheeks.

Kuvira turned her head away, pretending not to notice Korra’s crying. “Your friends are all just jealous of what we have. They’re scared of how much you love me.”

“And that’s the thing. I do love you. I’d give anything for you,” Korra said. “But I’m just trying to find out what I would do for _me_.”

“All I’m seeing is that you don’t want to spend time with me.”

“I do want to spend time with you!” Korra said. “I just don’t want to spend every single moment with you. I want to take a shower by myself, go to the bathroom by myself, I want to go to the classes I’ve been avoiding so I can actually graduate college!”

“What did I do to make you feel like this? Did I do something wrong? Am I not giving you everything you need?”

“No. You’re great. I just need to get back to myself. I’ve got some friends I’d like to see. I need to study some so I can actually pass a class this semester.”

Kuvira turned away from Korra, speaking in a low, almost threatening voice. “Well if you loved me, I think you would stop talking to them, that’s all I’m saying.” She leaned over, taking Korra’s hand in her own, “I just want you to be happy Korra and I know that’s here, with me. Your friends don’t like me and they didn’t even try to get to know me. And we can study together, work on everything that’s bothering you. Ok?”

Korra stared at her for a moment with her tear-stained cheeks and her eyes slowly turning redder from the crying. She pushed herself off the bed, headed for the door and with all the strength she still had left in her she turned around, shouting at Kuvira.

“No! It’s not ok! I need to be alone, I need to, to, I need to not be here, around you! Maybe everyone was right!”

 

* * *

 

“Oh my god, Rox, I’m so sorry, I… I didn’t mean it,” Asami mumbled with her cheeks flushed and her eyes wide open as she stared at Rox who finally exited the bathroom.

“I know, I heard you,” Rox muttered. “And no offense, but can we at least wait until I’m not naked anymore?”

“What? Oh. Yeah. Yeah of course,” Asami said, suddenly realizing that the only thing she was wearing was her stockings and garter belt, her face flushing an even darker shade of red.

The couple dressed in silence and then sat heavily on the bed, not looking at each other.

“Rox, I-”

“Asami, don’t. I get it. You’re sorry. Apologizing more isn’t helping.” Rox snapped, waving a hand around. she quickly settled it back in her lap, looking away from Asami..

“I didn’t mean it. Really I didn’t. It just happened. You were the one I wanted. Want! I just… she’s been on my mind lately, from how sour everything has gotten. I… I’m s-” Asami caught herself halfway through her apology and bit back the word. “I shouldn’t have done it. God, I’ll do anything to make it up to you. To prove to you that you’re the one I really want.”

“Look, I get it. I think. And I think I can forgive you. But, Asami, I need some space. I need to not be here for a couple of days,” Rox sighed. “I think you could use the distance too. I think you need some time alone to think about what you really want out of this relationship. Out of me.”

At this point, Asami was crying, silent steady tears just falling out of control and unstoppable. Through her sobs, she managed to form only one question. “H-how l-long will y-you be gone?”

“Just… I need to get out of here, clear my head. I’ll… I’ll call you in a couple of days,” Rox said as she hesitantly stood up. For a moment, she wanted to look over her shoulder and grab Asami, pull her into her arms and cry with her, kiss her and tell her how it’s all going to be alright, but those thoughts were momentarily replaced by the void residing in her. Nothing was gonna be alright, at least not in the next couple of days. As she walked away, at the door she turned to look back at the devastated Asami and muttered a goodbye before walking into the cold, dark Valentine’s night.

She wasn’t out of the building before she was on the phone, a plan already forming in her mind. The empty, cold place in her chest was melting, replaced by a hot rage.

“Hey, Suzanne, it’s Rox,” she said in a sweet voice. “I need a favor.”

Inside, Asami was sobbing into a pillow. She was in desperate need of a friend. But she couldn’t call the woman whose name she shouted in bed, and the one she just made love to requested she didn’t call. Her world wasn’t slowly falling apart, it was crashing down in a tumultuous hurricane and all she could do was stand and watch.

* * *

 

“How can you say things like that, you were such a sad little girl when we first met and look at you now” Kuvira growled from the other side of her room, rubbing at her temples in frustration, “You’ve changed, yeah - for the better!”

Korra groaned from her position at the door. She was about to leave Kuvira’s room when Kuvira decided she’d bring up everything she thought was supposed to be the way it was but Korra’s doubt kept increasing with every second. She was wrong. So wrong.

“How is not talking to my friends better for me? How has not texting my best friend for almost a year made me feel good about myself? It hasn’t! But you wouldn’t know because all you ever cared about was making me your little pet!” Korra shouted at her, trying to keep her tears at bay. She had to stay strong, she was finally standing her ground and if it’s not going to be now, it never would be.

“Your friends are shit!” Kuvira growled at her, causing Korra’s eyes to widen at her statement. “Asami’s a fucking prissy, little, nosy rich girl and Opal’s not even your friend! I’m practically her sister, for fucks sakes!”

“That doesn’t give you exclusive rights!” Korra couldn’t keep the tears at bay any longer. They started falling as she shouted from the top of her voice. “You’re possessive! And so goddamn manipulative! Everything I always did I did for you, it was never about us, let alone me!”

“So I get a little jealous, big deal! You should be happy someone like me wants you so much that they’re ready to kick someone’s ass if they so much as glance at you.”

Korra had to brace herself against the door, clutching the doorknob in her hand. “I can’t believe you just said that. For such a smart girl, you sure are a fucking idiot!” Any walls that Korra had started tumbling down as the words came flowing out of her mouth. “You never cared for me! You just wanted your own pleasure! You didn’t even care that my first time was with you. Did you know it hurt? Did you?!” Korra spat at her, holding onto the door with one hand and furiously brushing her tears away with the other. “No, because you don’t care! You didn’t back then and you don’t now! All you care is how you’re never wrong, how things always go your way and you always get what you want. Well guess what, Kuvira: this time you’re not getting what you want.” Korra opened the door, glaring at her. “This time, things are not gonna your way! We’re over!” She closed the door behind her and leaned against them with a loud thud. She couldn’t stop the tears anymore but at least she was out of that room, that cage that kept her this way for so long. She could finally go watch that stupid movie she’d wanted to for month, she can finally call her best friend and not feel bad about it. She could finally tell her how sad she actually is and how all this time was, in fact, wasted.

Korra didn’t get to do any of that. And by the time she realized what was going on in front of her, she wasn’t sure she could ever again be able to do those things.

When she finally wiped away her tears, after a couple of minutes, she looked up, only to see a very raging, fast approaching figure coming her way. Until she felt rough, calloused knuckles slamming against her cheek, Korra had no idea what was going on.

One moment she was leaning against the door, trying to get herself together, next she was scrambling on the floor, trying to get up, crying both because she’d just broken up with her girlfriend and because she was certain Rox ( _where the fuck did she come from?_ ) just knocked her out with a vile right hook and the the pain was absolutely horrible.

“Get up you piece of shit.” Rox’s familiar voice called to her, glazed with rage and aggression. “Come on Korra, get the fuck up so I can beat you up properly.”

“What the fuck is wrong wit-”

Korra didn’t manage to finish her sentence. Rox’s hand was already on the collar of her shirt, pulling her up so they would be face to face.

“You’re a fucking idiot. A fucking stupid idiot and I don’t know why I’m even here, besides wanting to kick the living shit outta you, but here I am, telling you that you’re a fucking moron!” Rox shouted in her face as she pushed her back, slamming Korra’s back against the door.

“What the fuck is your problem?” Korra tried to defend herself but the hit Rox initially gave her was a pretty strong one and she was still trying to regain her sense of balance.

“You’re my goddamn problem! You managed to ruin the best fucking thing in my life and you’re not even trying! You don’t even give a shit about her and you’ve wrecked us, you fucked it all up you miserable piece of shit!” Rox yelled even louder this time, groaning and running her fingers through her hair. “Fucking idiot!”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Asami! What the fuck do you think I’m talking about?! She…” For a moment, Rox froze. She wasn’t ready to say the words yet, not for another couple of seconds. “You ruined it and you don’t even care about her!”

“What the fuck are you even doing here?!” Korra bit back when she could finally support her own weight .

“I’m here because she doesn’t love me, she fucking loves you!” Rox finally managed to get the words out and just for a moment, she felt a friction lighter. “I drove out here in this fucking hellhole to tell you that she’s in love with you and you don’t even care, you ungrateful little shit!”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about, she’s happy with you now and there’s no room for me in her life.” Korra’s voice lowered, as did her mood. She went from enraged to miserable in one single sentence.

“You’re such a fucking idiot Korra. You don’t deserve her. You shouldn’t be allowed to walk the same streets she does. Because she’s fucking perfect. She’s gorgeous and wonderful, she has a brilliant mind and she, she… She fucking loves... you.” Rox sighed heavily, leaning against the wall when a few tears drizzled down her cheeks. “She’s hurting, because of you. We’ve only been together for a short time but every idiot can see that it’s not me she wants. It’s you. But if you’re not gonna love her, I will.” Rox wiped away her tears and stood up straight again, staring down at Korra.

“Wh… What?”

“I’m going to be there for her, Korra. If you don’t care, I will. I’m going to love her and give her everything she deserves and so much more because she’s wonderful and sad and I love her! I love her with all I’ve got but it’s not enough. But I’ll make it be enough. Because she deserves so much, so much more than me and definitely more than you’ve been lately.”

Korra was about to answer when the door behind her spun open and she almost fell back into Kuvira’s room.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Kuvira all but growled, glancing between Rox and Korra. “What the fuck happened to you?” She focused on Korra and the bruise on her cheek and her brow that was slowly beginning to grow more and more obvious. “And who the fuck are you?” She spat, turning to meet Rox’s gaze.

“An old friend of Korra’s,” Rox muttered, staring back. “I came to see her. And you must be that shithead of a girlfriend I’ve been hearing so much about.” Rox said with a slight raise of her eyebrow.

Kuvira wouldn’t let it phase her. Or if it had, she didn’t show it. “Next time, call. We might not be home.” She moved to pull Korra into her arms and back into the room, “C’mon, lemme fix tha-”

“I told you we were _through_.” Korra muttered under her breath as she stepped away from Kuvira’s grasp. “We’re through Kuvira. I’ll have someone get my stuff.”

“Got a taste of your own medicine?” Rox snickered on the side, watching the two. “Bout time. And Korra - Stop being a dick.”

Korra didn’t pay either of them any attention. She didn’t even glance back at Kuvira and she barely brushed against Rox’s arm when she passed by.

She needed to think. For days. Weeks and possibly months. She needed to sort herself out first, then she would be able to fix things. So Korra did what she thought was the best possible thing she could do at the time.  

Rox didn’t spare Korra another glance, another look, another thought. She’d said her piece, she said what she’d never be able to say to Asami directly. But there it was, out in the open. She didn’t necessarily feel better, but she felt… more in control of her life than she was yesterday.

When she got back to the car she borrowed from a friend, she found her phone had a dozen missed calls and almost as many messages.

If Rox was a gambler she would have bet they were all Asami.

She’d been gone only a day, and to her credit it seemed Asami had tried to hold off. But the call log showed that every couple of hours that day, Asami had called her. And the voicemails were just long, rambly apologies, that eventually started to slur together as it became clear that she was drinking.

Then there was a voicemail from a number Rox didn’t recognize.

“Hello, this is Nurse Jessica at Northwestern Hospital, I was told I should call this number to-”

Rox didn’t even hear the rest of the message, she was just willing the car to start and trying to do the math in her head. If she put the pedal to the metal she could be back in two and a half hours, maybe two.

It didn’t escape her notice that there had been no more phone calls from Asami.

“Goddamnit Rox, you fucking idiot.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MWUHAHAHAHA  
> >:D  
> Although I will give bonus points to anyone out there who guessed what was gonna happen from the chapter title reference.
> 
> Oh yeah, and we are totally leaving you with that cliffhanger. >:D  
> (mostly because work for me is about to ruin my life with the sheer amount of hours, and I don't know if I'll have time to write!)  
> >:D  
> Bourbon out.


	27. Keep Pushing Through

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> O hai there! We're back from our break ( haha right, we need a break from the break) and here's your next chapter. Where everywhere that needs to stop to lead us all to where we want to be finally happens and some will hate us, some will cry with us, some will throw bricks at us, idk, all of the above? :D

Rox sighed as she glanced at the clock displayed on her phone. 3.27am.

She arched her back a little, trying to hear a couple of cracks, tilted her head to both sides then promptly stood up from the sofa, walking over to the window. The air in the room was stale and it felt as if she’d die if she spent another minute breathing in the scent of the hospital and everything surrounding her. 

Rox was never particularly fond of hospitals, they mostly freaked her out. The very thought of spending a couple of nights in one usually managed to send shivers down her spine. This time though, she didn’t give it a single thought.

When Rox drove out here six hours ago, she was prepared for the worst. Or at least she thought so. She walked in all shouting and yelling at the nurses, trying to figure out which one had called her, what the hell happened and why wasn’t anyone answering her questions, all the while trying to keep the tears at bay and struggling to maintain her balance. The only thing that kept ringing in her head was the fact that something happened to Asami and she didn’t even answer her goddamn phone. She wasn’t there when Asami needed her and really, wasn’t that effectively what she was yelling at Korra about? Wasn’t she telling her, barely an hour prior, how she’d be there for Asami, in every possible way, because Korra was an awful person who knew nothing of love and couldn’t do that? 

How was she any better than her? 

The nurses never gave her a proper answer, they just recognized the number she showed them and pointed her to a different floor. 

Intensive Care. 

Rox could almost feel the blood pumping wildly through her veins when she read the writing on the door. She knew, everyone knew that an IC status meant that something was very,  _ very _ wrong and the patient wasn’t well. The patient was probably still critical or if not, then they were mostly certainly at the risk of it. For a moment, Rox thought she couldn’t handle it. For a second, turning around and running away crossed her mind but she slammed her hand against the entrance and all thoughts seemed to vanish. It wasn’t until a nurse came running towards her, yelling how she can’t just barge in there and stomp around that Rox managed to function again and her voice seemed to have come back to her. She was about to ask the nurse about Asami when her eyes fixed on a figure standing at the back of the hallway, leaning against the wall and staring at her. So she hurried past the irritated nurse, ignoring her orders and her shouting and the steps she was taking instantly turned into a running pace, until she was standing face to face with the saddest expressions she’d ever seen on another person. 

Now, six hours later and in the dead of the night, at 3.27am, when she had time to think things through, when all she could do was sit around and wait, Rox knew she’d never been this scared in her life. The air in the room changed a little when she opened the window, and her sad demure immediately shifted. She ran her fingers through her hair and took a deep breath before shutting the window and moving back to the chair. But she didn’t sit down, instead, she moved to the chair on the other side of the bed and crouched down next to it. 

“Asami.” Rox breathed out in a quiet, gentle voice. When she was greeted by silence she raised a hand, placing it on Asami’s leg and speaking again, this time a little louder. “Asami, sweetie.” 

“Hm? Yeah?” A low, broken voice answered. When Asami tilted her head to the side to meet Rox’s stare, she looked at her but her shoulders were still tense. 

“You need to get some rest,” Rox murmured as she slowly stood up and let her hand rest on Asami’s shoulder. “Come sit down on the sofa with me. You need to close your eyes for a couple of minutes at least. Please.” 

Asami’s gaze remained fixed on her for another moment before she looked away and moved to stand up. The girl’s gaze was hazy and she was paler than usual, almost no color left in her cheeks. “You’re right.” 

Rox smiled faintly to herself.  _ Step by step. _ She slid her hands around Asami and guided her towards the sofa, never once letting her go. She sat down first, making enough space for Asami to sit down and sprawl out a bit. When Asami finally laid her head down on Rox’s shoulder, she looked up and opened her mouth so speak but Rox hurried to stop her.

“Rest Asami. You need to. I’ll stay awake and keep an eye on him and you know the nurses are all monitoring everything, they’ll be around to check him up. Just rest for a bit, okay? For me, please?” 

Asami knew she should get some sleep, she felt more exhausted than ever. But falling asleep wasn’t as easy when her father was lying on a hospital bed hooked up on dozens of different machines that seemed to be doing everything to keep him alive. She sighed and pushed the onslaught of tears away, resigned to finally let her mind have some peace. She offered a smile in response and leaned up to peck Rox’s lips but the way Rox hesitated, even if it was for the briefest of moments, only reminded her of how horrible everything between them was and how awful she should, in fact, feel. Everything she did came crashing down in one second and Asami didn’t even have time to try and stop the sob that escaped her when she met Rox’s eyes.  

“Asami, hey.” Rox spoke quietly, rubbing soothing circles over her back and running her fingers through her hair. “Hey, look at me. He’s going to be alright. Hiroshi will make it through, okay?” 

Asami wanted to tell her that it wasn’t just because her dad had almost died a few hours ago, and that the tears she was crying had almost everything to do with the way she fucked everything up between them. She knew they’d need to talk. Asami knew their relationship was probably lost in the actions she’d made days before, but this was neither the time nor the place. She nodded a couple of times and slumped further into Rox’s caring arms, nuzzling her warm neck and trying to stop herself from crying anymore. She didn’t know when, but finally her exhaustion took its toll and Asami was overtaken by sleep. 

Behind her, Rox took a couple of deep breaths, making sure that her own tears would stay right there where they needed to be. Out of sight, out of mind. She’d think about everything when the time would be right, and she’ll push through the hurt, like she always has. 

At some point before dawn Rox had fallen asleep with Asami resting on top of her. It was a familiar feeling, and in her dazed, barely conscious state it was nice.

That was until the beeping of an annoying alarm clock tried to wake her. Rox tried to ignore it, but she always woke up on the first ring. Fuck she had something to do today.

Her eyes snapped open when she remembered where she was and there were nurses and doctors rushing into the room yelling at each other.

Poor exhausted Asami was following her to wakefulness right behind her, panic and adrenaline suddenly forcing her into full alertness.

“What’s happening?” Asami demanded.

“We’re taking your father to surgery,” someone answered, a doctor or a nurse, the girls couldn’t tell.

Suddenly Hiroshi was wheeled out of the room and the girls were left alone with panic and worry and the air thick with dread.

Hiroshi was gone for a couple of hours and exhausted Asami wound up passing out on the couch after the fourth hour he was gone. The lack of sleep coupled with the sheer amount of wasted energy had really taken a toll. That, and, as best as Rox could tell, Asami gave a lot of blood to her father to help keep him alive. So she was in no state to call Rox, which meant that she all but begged a nurse to do it for her. That explained the weird number and the annoyed nurses.

Rox rested her head against the coffee vending machine. This has been the most emotionally exhausting day, and she wasn’t allowed to feel anything because this was Asami’s father in the hospital. She was an auxiliary, an unnecessary appendage.

Fuck. That’s really all she was to Asami. Unnecessary.

She took a gulp of the scalding, terrible coffee at the same time as she swallowed her feelings.

“Hey, you’re the girlfriend right?” asked a tall woman that was approaching the room where Asami was currently passed out on the couch.

“Yeah,” Rox said. “What’s happening?”

“Since you’re not family,” the scrubbed woman with the tied back auburn hair sighed, “I can’t really tell you anything.”

“I could wake Asami up. She’d want to hear this.”

“I can tell you that he’s fine,” the doctor said. “Sorry, I’m Doctor Reynder. I was the lead surgeon on Hiroshi.”

“Still, I think Asami would want to talk to you, and I don’t want to keep you,” Rox said. “Can I get like one minute?”

“Yeah,” the surgeon said rubbing her tired blue-green eyes. “You know you’re one of the few girlfriends I’ve ever seen go through this much for someone else.”

“Curse of my existence,” Rox frowned.

“Well I hope she appreciates it.”

Rox just sighed heavily in response and went to go wake up Asami. “Hey, hey. Your dad’s fine. The surgeon wants to give you an update.”

Asami went from asleep to groggy to fully awake in seconds. Rox handed her the partially drunk cup of coffee and ushered her towards the pretty surgeon.

“What happened?” Asami asked.

“First of all, he’s fine. Second, I think we met briefly, I’m Doctor Iris Reynder. I was the principal surgeon on both of your father’s surgeries. The truck sure did a number on him. We fixed what we could, but he still has a bunch of broken bones. And I just had to pull a clot out of his lung. As far as I can tell he’ll be fine. But we’ll know more when he wakes up.”

“Where is he? Can I see him?”

“They are bringing up out of surgery in a little bit. With any luck he’ll be asleep for most of the day,” Reynder said. “Look, at the very least the anesthesia will keep him out for another two hours. Go get something to eat with your girlfriend, maybe find a shower or two. I’ll make sure someone calls you if anything changes. You need to rest and eat. Trust me, I’m a doctor.”

“Yeah, ok.”

* * *

 

It had been a couple of days since she’d even seen another person, longer even since she’s talked to one.

But now she had to interact with humanity again.

Even ordering a bus ticket home was a chore. Her voice was unrecognizable to her.

Korra had spent the last two weeks hiking through the Appalachian trail. She’d started in Pennsylvania and now she was buying a ticket home from Virginia.

It would cost all of her money to get back home, but getting to her parent’s from the bus station would be another trick.

She could have always called them, and she did, once every week or so when she found a spot on the mountain with enough cell service just to tell Senna she was still alive and she’d be out for a little while longer. But to call for help, for rescue, just as she was deciding it was time to head back home seemed like failure to Korra.

And if there was one thing she couldn’t stand was another failed something.

A failed romantic relationship.

More than a few failed friendships.

A failed semester at college.

A failed everything when it came to the person she thought she’d never fail.

When Korra finally came to terms with at least a bit of herself, or what was left of her, she decided it was time to go back home. And, as cliche as it was, she was ready to start over. Start fresh. Maybe get a shower. Scratch that -  **definitely get a shower** .

Parts of her had to be left in the past. Kuvira was the first on the list. Korra never once answered any of her calls, she deleted all her text messages and when she first could, she changed her number and that broken, frayed part of her was left behind, where it belonged. 

Then it came to her friendships. Korra knew she fucked up. Some more and some less but she’d have to mend them all somehow. She decided she’d call everyone as soon as she was back on her feet and ready, starting with her long lost ex boyfriend and his brother. Then she’d say a million apologies to Opal and hope for the best. 

Next was college. She’d figure that out after making some calls, talking to some people… It’d be a long journey back to where she wanted to be, but she’d make it right. She was fairly certain that she totally failed that semester, and if not failed out of college altogether.

And then it came to the big one: Asami.

Could she have possibly fucked that up any more? Whenever her thoughts lead her back to all the things she’d done wrong, Korra tried hard not to cry. She tried but more often than not, she failed. It wasn’t so much because of the wrongs but because of  _ who  _ she’d wronged. She never thought she’d be such a jerk towards the one person she always thought was her closest, most treasured friend, and then she managed to fuck all that up with just a few stupid words, a couple of horrible days and more than a year’s worth of running away from her own feelings. Even through all of it, Korra knew she was being a complete idiot, deep down she was aware, somehow, that all she was doing was hurting Asami more than anything she’s ever done, but back then, Korra was a different person. She wasn’t someone else, no, but she was a shell of what she used to be,  _ who _ she remembered herself as. 

On the first day of her trip Korra decided she’d make it all right and most of all, she’d try to make things with Asami at least okay, if nothing more. She knew she didn’t deserve anything at from her, but she’d try her best to at least be friends again, like they’d used to be.

Out on the trail it was nice, it was free. Korra felt like she could do what she wanted, be what she wanted. But now she was stuck on a bus. For fifteen hours. Surrounded by strangers, trying to hide her intermittent crying because now she was stuck in the confines of a bus that didn’t smell quite right and she had no escape, no wilderness to run through to try and escape her feelings and her thoughts. Now she was stuck for fifteen hours thinking about her former best friend and how much she probably hated her.

* * *

 

The summer was one of the longest of Asami’s life.

Everything was utter chaos, and she didn’t even have school to add to the unnecessary weight she was shouldering.

Her father was still in rehab, recovering from the nearly fatal car accident and it took slightly longer than expected, but he was finally getting better. During this time he thought it best to step aside temporarily from the board of directors of Future Industries. And of course, instead of Hiroshi Sato, Asami Sato would be the one to lead the company.

It was something Asami always assumed she’d do one day, but she never thought it would be this soon, she never expected it like this nor did she know how truly chaotic the business world was. Or maybe that was just because the acting chairman of the board was almost killed by some nutballs with a truck.

Finally, near the end of the summer things were starting to slow down. Future Industries was back on a track that Asami thought was best for everyone involved with the business. 

Hiroshi was getting better but still had to walk with a cane. Thankfully, his own accident seemed to put a lot of different thoughts in his head and the second he was conscious and able enough, he demanded to see Asami and talk to her. 

Hiroshi sat down heavily on the comfy chair in the office that used to be his but was being rapidly overtaken by Asami’s paperwork, books, and other devices. He placed the cane gently on the stand next to him.

“Asami, dear, I’ve been thinking,” he said slowly.

She looked up at her father, who was looking thinner with each passing day. The accident had cost him a bunch of weight. “Yes?”

“I’m…” he trailed off, not entirely sure where to start. “I’m not the best father. I’ve always known that. It was easier… before… with your mother to help. I’ve only ever been good at being a businessman. I was never the best husband or father. And I’m sorry. Hindsight is showing me just how awful I was and I never wanted it to turn out this way… I got lost in what I thought was best for you, but really it was what I thought was best for me. I hope you can forgive me for… for everything. Your whole childhood really. I… But… Mostly I want to apologize to what I said to you. I shouldn’t have said it. I love you Asami. You’re my whole world. I shouldn’t have turned my back on you. I’m so sorry and I hope that maybe one day you can forgive this old man for being a bigot. I love you, no matter what you may do. And if you ever find someone worthy to date, I’d be honored to meet them. And again, I’m sorry.”

Asami sniffled at his words and found herself kneeling at his side as soon as she scrambled out of her chair. “Thank you dad. That means a lot.” 

“No Asami, thank  _ you _ .” Hiroshi said, caressing her cheek. 

“I… I might bring someone over for dinner in a couple of days, I need to ask h-her first.” Asami stuttered slightly but the words flew out of her mouth when Hiroshi simply smiled back at her. 

“I’d be honoured to meet her.” 

“Is it just me or is this a little weird?”

Hiroshi smiled. “Only a bit. But I’ve been led to believe that it is always a little weird introducing partners to parents. No matter the circumstances.”

“Aaand now it just turned a little more weird.” Asami chuckled awkwardly and moved back to the chair. “You should go rest dad.” 

“And you should sleep a bit, Asami, you have classes tomorrow and you’re pushing yourself so hard, all because I can’t do my job.”

“I’m happy to do this dad, and I’m finally on top of everything. I’m just checking everything twice to make sure I can take a few days off.”

“Ah, so thorough and dedicated. I wonder who you got it from.” Hiroshi chuckled with a wink, halfway to the door. “Oh and Asami,” Hiroshi said from the doorway. “Yasuko would be nothing but proud of you. I know I am.”

Tears came suddenly but through a smile when the doors of the office closed after him. 

Sure, things weren’t perfect between them, they wouldn’t be for a while but they were talking openly again, Asami could tell him things she thought she’d have to keep to herself forever and Hiroshi was finally starting to accept everything that made Asami the way she was, which included her relationship with Rox and her confusing friendship with Korra.

“Hey,” Asami texted Rox. “I’ve finally got a couple of days off. Come over tonight?”

“Yeah. 2 hours?”

“Sure. Sounds good.”

The second Asami saw Rox’s reply, she went back to cleaning. She hadn’t exactly been to her apartment in weeks and the place was messy. But she needed everything to be perfect, not just the place. The whole evening needed to better than the last one she’d spent with Rox. Asami was set on making everything right with her and tonight she’d finally do it. And she’d ask her to meet her dad as she should have, all those years ago. But now she finally could without a knot in her stomach and it felt so damned good. 

The place was spotless by the time she heard the doorbell. Rox was a bit early but it wasn’t such a strange thing for her. Rox hurried to the door and opened it with a smile but it wavered slightly when she met Rox’s eyes.

“Hey.” Rox tried to smile as she stood at the doorway, waiting for Asami to let her in.

“Hey you,” Asami mumbled, opening the door and signaling for Rox to walk in. She reached out and Rox all but melted into her embrace but she stiffened only a moment later and shuffled past her in a rush. 

“You’re looking good,” Rox noted, sitting down on the couch when she shrugged out of her jacket, “Finally managed to sleep a little longer?” 

“Yeah,” Asami smiled and sat down next to her, reaching out to take Rox’s hand, “I missed you.” She murmured, entwining their fingers.

“I missed you too,” Rox murmured back but looked away, rubbing her free hand over her thigh. She was nervous and anxious, Asami didn’t have to be her girlfriend to notice. Hell, a random alien over on Mars would have definitely noticed. 

“Rox?” Asami asked, squeezing her hand, “Hey, what’s up? Are you okay? Did something happen?” 

When Rox finally met her eyes, Asami was met with that same look she had that horrible night when she managed to scream out Korra’s name. That same hurtful, broken look that she prayed she’d never have to see again.

“What’s going on?”

“Asami… I need to ask you something.”

“Anything. You can ask me anything.”

“I…” Rox took a deep breath, a shaky, uneven breath in. For a moment she held it, held the breath, held the moment not totally willing to shatter the fake happiness, the fake contentment she held in this second. “I need you to break up with me.”

Asami blinked a few times. “What?”

“I… I’ve wanted to say this for months now. But there never seemed to be a good time. Your dad was in the hospital and all that stuff, and then you were so busy with your job and stuff,” Rox rambled as she started pacing back and forth.

Asami sputtered a couple of questions and a “I don’t understand” while Rox searched for words.

“Look, I love you. I love you so much. But I know that you don’t love me like I love you. If you can find it in your heart to change, to love me for me, then I will be ecstatic, I’ll be over the fucking moon. If you can do that for me, you have my number. But if you can’t. If you can’t love me instead of..” The name died in her throat, but both of them knew who she was talking about. “If you can’t then please…  _ please _ … let me go. Because I’m too in love with you to leave you, and it hurts so much to be with you when you’re not with me. So please. I’m begging you. If you can’t love me like I love you, you need to break up with me. And here’s the kicker, I can’t break up with you, because the thought of that paralyzes me. Isn’t that fucking hilarious?”

Asami looked up at her girlfriend, or soon to be ex girlfriend, tears in her eyes. This wasn’t how any of this was supposed to go. “I know…” she sniffled, swallowing a sob. “I know I haven’t been the best girlfriend. But I’m trying. Everything has finally calmed down enough. I can be better. I’ll be better for you.”

“I… I don’t want you to be better. I love you as you are! That’s just what I want in return from you,” Rox said grabbing Asami’s hands. “Please. All I want is for you to tell me that you want to be with me. If you can look me in the eye and tell me, truly, that you love me, if you can tell me that I’m the one you love, and not Korra, if you can say those words to me… I’ll stay. But…”

Asami tried, she really tried to say it. “I don’t… I can’t… I don’t love…”

Rox bowed her head. She knew it. She stood up once more, her hands slipping out of Asami’s just as she mumbled, barely audible, one last word, “you.”

“Goodbye Asami,” Rox muttered. “I’m sorry.”

And with that she walked out of the apartment and Asami’s life once again.

But this time, Asami couldn’t blame her. Not even a little. Not even when she crumbled down to the floor and the rivers of tears started pouring down her eyes. Not even when she managed to drag herself to her bed and cry through the night. And not the next couple of days she spent drinking and crying and wishing she could talk to her best friend about this, about everything. About how the girl she was supposed to love left her because Asami couldn’t love anyone else the way she loved her best friend despite everything that happened between them. 

It took her a couple of days, but at some point, Asami totally broke down. She picked up her phone and called Korra’s number.

All she got was a robotic voice telling her “ _ the number you have dialed is no longer in use. _ ”

“No… not you too. Please,” Asami said as she redialed the number.

“ _ The number you have dialed is no longer in use _ .”

“Not you too Korra. Please. Please I need to talk to you, I need… you. Please. Come on...”

“ _ The number you have dialed is no longer in use. _ ”

“You’re supposed to be my best friend! Come on! I need you!”

“ _ The number you have dialed is no longer in use. Please hang up and try again. If you need assistance hang up and dial zero for an operator. _ ”

* * *

 

Korra felt like she was back to square one.

No, scratch that. Korra was back to square zero. It felt like she was a kid again, in Canada. Cold, isolated, without any real friends, living with her parents.

Worst of all, she was going to some dumb community college, desperately trying to make up the credits she lost by essentially failing out of her first choice university. Well not so much failing out, as being unable to go back to a school where Kuvira was and unable to face the teachers that justifiably failed her for missing a full semester worth of classes.

Whatever, the local community college was close to her parent’s house. They graciously let her move back home, and now she’s taking as many classes as she can, trying to get back on track to graduation.

The classes were cramped and full of all sorts of random people. The professors were all overworked and underpaid so Korra felt that it was either insultingly easy or incomprehensible nonsense. Which was a far cry from the classes she took at her previous college where her biggest class was 16 people and the professors made sure each student was engaged.

The worst part was the commute. Korra had to take three busses every day. Three busses there, there back. It only took forty five minutes, but Korra had grown to resent busses by this point, even doubly so since she had to take ones at six or seven in the morning depending on when her classes started.

And she was living with her parents again.

Just the cherry on top of the “I failed out of college because I’m a fucking idiot” shit cake.

Another day, another class, another empty mailbox with nothing from any of the local colleges Korra sent applications out to.

“Mom, Dad, I’m home,” she yelled as she walked through the back door and threw her bookbag at the couch before laying down on the floor. Everything was so exhausting. Stupid early morning classes.

“Long day honey?” Senna asked from the basement.

“Don’t want to talk about it,” Korra groaned.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

“Korra? Can you get the door? I’m in the middle of laundry,” Senna called.

She grumbled and picked herself up off the floor to answer the door.

“Hey, I’m just returning the tools you let me borrow,” said the dark haired boy at the back door. “Holy shit! KORRA?”

“Hey Mako,” she muttered. “Good, um, to see you?”

“What? No, no, you wait right there, what the hell?! You’re home? How? Since when?” Mako gripped the tools he held in his arms and glared at Korra with the fierceness of a hurricane. Korra almost took a step back in fear.

“Uh, it kinda happened? Yes, I’m home. By bus. And on foot. And also by train. Since… About seven months ago I think.”

“SEVEN MONTHS?” He shouted, shrugging past her and walking into the living room. “Hi, excuse me Senna, sorry to bother you but I need to borrow this, this… uh, I need to borrow Korra for a couple of minutes.” He mumbled as he placed the tools on a nearby chair and dragged Korra out into their back yard. 

Senna simply shook her head with a faint smile and continued shuffling around the kitchen. 

“How could you not tell us, tell _ Asami _ that you’re back? You just come back here, live here for seven months and keep silent from all your friends? What the hell is wrong with you?” Mako asked, flailing his arms around.

“Actually, a fair bit of things,” Korra answered with a chuckle but straightened up when Mako glared at her again. “Sorry, it’s just, a lot of stuff happened, okay? I got into some messy shit with my ex, I failed my classes, Rox beat me up and I ran away. Then I came back here, I ran away again, traveled for a while, cleared my head and now I’m back again, trying to get my studies back on track. There. Long story short.” Korra finished, rubbing the back of her neck.

“So…” Mako started, but ended closing his mouth in search of his words. After a couple of seconds in silence, he continued. “So you and Kuvira broke up?” 

“Yeah.” 

“And you failed your classes.” 

“Yup.” 

“And Rox beat  _ you _ up?” 

“Yeah, Rox beat  _ me  _ up.” Korra grumbled. “Something about Asami being in love with me or some nonsense.”

“Oh that jackass,” Mako mumbled. “She totally left that part out of the story. So all of that happens and then you play nomad and now you’re back.” 

“And now I’m back.”

“So when were you planning on letting us know?” 

“Uh… Soon?” 

“Korra, you’ve been here for the past seven months!” 

“So?” 

“Do you think you could meet up with your friends now or are we no longer that?” 

“No! Of course we are! If you still want to be friends with me,” Korra shouted, “I just… I need to find myself.”

“So very deep.” Mako grumbled, crossing his arms. 

“Look it’s just, I need some more time, okay? Can you keep this between us? Please?” Korra pleaded, putting on her best puppy dog eyes.

“You know I’m good at keeping secrets.” Mako said, eyeing her.

“I mean it Mako. You can’t tell Asami. Please?” 

Mako groaned. “Fine.”

“I’m just… I know I fucked everything up real bad. And I don’t know how to apologize for all of the stupid shit I’ve done. I don’t know where to start, or even how to bring up how sorry I am.”

“That sounded pretty good to me.”

“Mako…”

“What? If you just walked up to her, or to me, and said, ‘look, I’m back, I’m sorry, I was an idiot are we still friends?’ everything would be cool.”

Korra sighed and gave Mako a look, “It’s not that easy.”

“It’s not that hard either.”

“Asami probably doesn’t want to even see me I bet.”

“I will bet you a hundred thousand dollars you’re wrong.”

“Mako! It’s Asami! After all of the stuff I’ve put her through… Would you want to see someone after all of that? If you were her, would you forgive me?”

“Yes.”

“Mako…”

“Korra…”

“I can’t! Not yet! You can’t tell her! Please!”

“You know we’ve tried calling you. She’s tried calling you. Multiple times.”

“I got a new phone and stuff. Kuvira kept trying to get me back.”

“Well I’m glad you found your spine when it came to her.”

“Promise me you won’t tell Asami I’m back. I’ll tell her when I’m ready.”

Mako sighed and folded his arms. “You’d better be ready by the weekend. Because I’m gonna tell her.”

“You wouldn’t dare.” Korra growled.

“Oh I would.” Mako winked and walked past her, shouting towards the house, “Goodbye Senna, say thank you to Tonraq for the tools!” 

Both Korra and Mako could hear her shouting back from inside, “ _ Will do honey!”  _

Mako was barely out of sight of the house when he pulled out his cell phone and immediately dialed Asami.

“ _ Hello?”  _

“Asami, holy shit, guess who I just found.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa what a ride!  
> Kitty out :D
> 
> Bourbon here: just an FYI we have a vague outline sense for the rest of the story. We'll be wrapping up around chapter 32/33 (depending on if we do an epilogue type thing or not and whether or not that counts). Possibly 34 depending on how long these things get. But the ending is vaguely in sight! It could very easily be confused for a mirage on the horizon, but it's there, it's coming! Promise.  
> Next time of We Used to be Friends: the reunion episode clip show!


	28. We Used to be Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra is back in the same city as Asami. Both of them know it. Now it is up to Korra to summon the courage to face the girl that she once considered her best friend, the same person whom she didn't speak with for almost a year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! Reunion episode! Yay!  
> Get your drinks ready!

“I’m gonna kill Mako,” Korra grumbled to herself as she rode the elevator up. “All I wanted was some time to think but no. Fucking sharkbrows has to ruin this whole thing by telling her I’m back. I bet he even called her the second he left. Jackass.”

Her hand was gripping the strap of her messenger bag like it was going to somehow save her life. It only made her wince in pain when her grip became too firm. 

The elevator doors slid open and for a moment Korra just stood there, in the little metal box, alone, unable or unwilling (it was hard to differentiate them at this point) to move.

Just as the doors were about to slide shut, Korra found herself some strength and ran out of the elevator, not daring to look back. If she did, she might just crawl back to the same hole she poked her head out of. 

Apartment 42. It was just off to her left, on the west side of the building. Where Asami lived now.

Korra walked up to the door and did nothing.

She stood there, waiting, her hand halfway towards knocking on the wood that closed off Asami’s private sanctuary from the world, from Korra. This was it. She could still run, never look back and pretend this whole ‘coming here’ thing never happened. She could make this happen on her own terms but as time would want it, Korra had to do this now.  _ Now or never _ , she hummed to herself. Then she bit her lip, using the brief pain to distract herself from the infinite abyss of possibility that came from meeting her former best friend, and knocked on the door once, loudly.

A large portion of her wished that Asami didn’t hear or wasn’t home, so she could retreat once again to the relative safety of her parents’ house guilt free. But she knew Asami would be home, she knew that this was going to happen today, now. Deep down, Korra believed it had to, even if it terrified her. 

The sound of locks being opened and the doorknob turning broke the silence and Korra held her breath when her gaze flickered up.

Asami looked… tired, worn. Like a gorgeous painting left forgotten in an attic, gathering dust, unappreciated and unloved, frayed around the edges.

But still she looked beautiful, otherworldly even. Her long dark hair was pulled back into a charming, albeit messy bun, looking spectacular as always, even if it lacked some luster. Her dazzling green eyes looked hurt and faraway, despite being as brilliant as always, and her gaze, though seemingly empty and cold, still held traces of that old fire Korra remembered always seeing in them. When Asami blinked, Korra lips curled at the edges when she realized that Asami’s makeup was still very much on point.

“Hey,” Korra mumbled with a tiny, unintentional smile that couldn’t help but mimic the flutter in her chest.

Asami’s breath caught in her throat. “Hey yourself,” she said, unable to keep herself from slipping back into familiar patterns.

Finally, Asami’s best friend was back, standing in her doorway looking tired, thin, like some great weight had settled on her shoulders for much too long and it had finally been taken off, but Korra seemed as if she still hadn’t figured out how to walk without the weight.

Her eyes were still as blue and as clear and deep as they've always been. Asami could get lost in there but she forced herself to look away.

Korra looked thin, not in her usual cut, muscular way, in a way that said maybe she hadn't been eating as much or as well as she should have been. And that errant speculation utterly destroyed Asami’s already fragile heart. What saved it was the fraction, the little, infinitesimal smile that clung to Korra’s lips.

The girl nervously tried to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear but it didn't work, Korra's hair was too short. All of it was cut in a very fashionable bob.

“Nice haircut.”

“Oh, uh, thanks,” Korra said, caught off guard and defensively pulling on a strand of her hair, feeling self conscious and exposed, two feelings she never wanted to have in front of Asami. “You're looking…” A thesaurus opened in her mind.  _ Gorgeous. Beautiful. Stunning. Captivating. Sexy. Hot.  _ But she hit her tongue, keeping the flirty compliment inside. So in her delaying in speaking she realized she hadn't said anything in a long second so struggling to find a word to fill the silence she suddenly blurted out, “snazzy.”

Asami smiled and laughed once, and only once. “Does snazzy now mean disheveled and a mess?”

“You couldn't look like a mess if you tried,” Korra said.

Asami had, in fact, planned on dressing up. She had a strange desire to impress Korra. Or maybe it was to make her jealous? Envious maybe? So she had spent the entire day cleaning her apartment (and she even hired a professional cleaner to come in and help). But she only got as far as fixing her makeup when she heard the ominous knock at her door. No time to put on something decent. Jeans and a fading tshirt didn't seem appropriate.

Korra didn't notice. She only had eyes for Asami who she long ago realized looked amazing at any time of day, wearing anything at all.

“Uh, oh! Come on in,” Asami said suddenly realizing she left Korra standing out in the hallway.

“Thanks.”

Korra entered Asami’s apartment and holy fuck. It was amazing. Hardwood floors. What looked like an amazing but disused kitchen. Large open space, giant couch and an even bigger tv. But what got Korra was the wall of windows that gave Asami and permanent view of the skyline from the northern part of the city.

In fact, Korra dropped her bag and just pressed herself up to the window to look at it all.

“You get to look at this everyday,” Korra breathed.

_ I'd rather look at you every day, _ Asami's internal monologue said but she didn't voice.

“I haven't seen you in a while,” Asami said trying to find something to say. Dipping her toe in the water of the conversation she knew was coming.

“Yeah… I'm sorry,” Korra said, still facing the windows. She turned around suddenly and picked up her bag, holding It between herself and Asami like somehow it might shield her.

More than anything Asami wanted to say “it's ok.” But she couldn't.

“I… I don't know where to start,” Asami confessed.

“I mean, I've been planning for this for a while so I think I have an idea,” Korra muttered. “Uh… You might want to sit down for this because it is going to take a while.”

“Uh, ok?” Asami said as she sank onto the couch, never taking her eyes off of Korra, not for a single second.

Meanwhile Korra had reached into her messenger bag and pulled out something.

“Are those notes?” Asami asked. “Did you bring notecards to this?”

“Yes,” Korra said into her notecards as she shuffled them and reorganized them. “I have a lot of things to say and I didn’t want to forget anything.”

 

For a moment, all Asami really wanted to do was stand up, pull the struggling, fearful girl into her arms and spend the rest of the day kissing her like there was no tomorrow. But they both needed to say things, and more than anything, Asami needed to hear something,  _ anything _ , that would justify the way their friendship seemed to die out before they even had a chance of turning it into something more. Before her thoughts wandered further though, Asami managed to take a deep breath and steel herself for whatever that was to come.

“Okay.” She quietly murmured when Korra pulled out the first notecard from the pile. 

“I’m sorry,” Korra almost choked out. The words came out in a voice barely above a whisper and suddenly, her throat felt a thousand times drier than just seconds ago. Everything she wanted to say, all the apologies, it was right there, buzzing through her mind and at the tip of her tongue but when the gravity of her own words hit her, Korra found it so incredibly hard to voice them. “So,  _ so  _ sorry.” 

“Korra,” Asami whispered, but she wasn’t loud enough to be heard. Part of her wanted desperately to stop Korra, to forgive her, pull her into a tight hug and never let her go. Part of her wanted her best friend back. But another part of her, a large part of her, wanted to know, to hear her apology, needed to hear this apology.

“I’m sorry for being so self centered, for thinking only ever of myself and forgetting that others,  _ you _ , have feelings.” Korra said, her hands shaking as she flipped her notecard over to the next one. “I’m sorry for prom,” Korra murmured and took a shuddering breathing, forcing the words out, “Sorry for kissing you then, for not saying anything after that.” She raised her eyes to look at Asami, panic flashing over them. “I mean I’m not sorry about the kiss! I just- I’m sorry for the way I acted after it…” She sighed and turned over another note. Suddenly she was speaking faster and faster, her pace kept increasing barely pausing for breath or to let Asami say anything. “But I’m sorry for leading you on or anything because I’m an idiot and I’m sorry for not understanding how you feel, felt, whatever. I didn’t really know what I wanted back then and I was a stupid kid whose only goal was to feel good about myself and the further I pushed you away, the better I felt. Stupid, I know, and I’m really sorry about. And god, Asami… I’m sorry about Kuvira, about everything she’s ever said to you, every snide remark, every glare in your direction, I’m sorry. I… I didn’t listen to you and I didn’t even think of how it made you feel. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you or your concerns because you were right, you were right about it all. Fuck. I’m sorry for all of that relationship and I’m so so sorry that my mess hurt you so much.”

By the time Korra stopped to take another breath, she could feel tears prickling at her eyes. She knew this would happen, no matter how strong she forced herself to be, but she was here now and Asami, her best friend, the… the girl she’d spent so long loving was right there, in front of her, with her hands clasped at her chest and her eyes watery. And she needed to know, so Korra would tell her everything, she’d say sorry a million times if it meant that in the end, Asami would look at her the way she used to before everything happened. Korra saw Asami standing up slowly but she waved her off, huffing out a small laugh as she pointed at the notecards. 

“I’ve got a few more.” 

Asami smiled, if only a little, and sat back down with her hands in her lap.

Korra glanced over at the notes again before continuing. Her hands shakily taking up the next one

“I know you needed me and I wasn’t there. And god, Asami, I am so sorry about that. I promised I’d always be there for you, to help you, to, to do anything in my power to make you smile and then I go and break that promise, over and over again. Fuck. I’m so sorry. God. I can’t believe I didn’t drop everything and go to you, help with your dad. Help you with Rox. I’m sorry. I know that you’ve been going through a lot and I’m so fucking selfish and I’m the worst and I’m sorry.”

The tears in Korra’s eyes made it hard for her to read the cards, but she flipped through them anyways.

“I’m sorry for the silence. I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I tried to cut you out of my life. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I never called or never texted. I’m sorry I was unreachable. I’m sorry I moved away,” Korra said. She wasn’t even stopping to breathe, her words were starting to rapidly blur together. Her hands were shaking so badly, and she was crying. The only time she took a breath was when a sob interrupted her rambling. “I’m sorry for not being in your life I’m sorry for not helping you through hard times I’m sorry for not being the friend you needed I’m sorry for not being the friend you deserved I’m sorry for being the worst.”

Asami couldn’t take it anymore. She stood up, but the second that she did the notecards slipped from Korra’s hands and fell to the ground, the girl following them a second later.

Korra knelt in a heap on Asami’s floors, sobbing “I’m sorry” every time she had enough breath to speak. All around her on the floor were notes saying  _ “You fucked up for not talking to her, not talking to the most important person in your life. You’re the fucking worst.” “You fucked up by not listening to her about Kuvira. You fucked up by letting your fucked up relationship hurt her.” “You’re the worst friend ever. You’re a piece of shit. She was right this whole time.” _

Korra was trying to pick them up, but her hands were too shaky and they were getting wetter and wetter each time she brushed them over her tear-stained cheeks. But the tears kept coming and she was shaking and sobbing and nothing could stop the broken dam that kept on growing. All she could do was apologize, over and over again, all she wanted was to finally express just how much she hated being the person that she was and she was trying, she really was. But then she felt warmth envelop her, strong arms circle around her shoulders and a familiar, sweet scent buzzed into her head when Asami pulled her into a crushing embrace. Korra’s words turned into broken sobs and her own hands slithered to Asami’s waist, gripping to her shirt as she cried for what felt an eternity. 

“I’m begging you Asami,” Korra sobbed into her arms, “all I want is for you to forgive me. And if you think you can, I need to be your friend. These years without you have been the worst in my life.”

Asami tried to wipe away some of her own tears. “You don’t need to beg. Of course I forgive you. I’m not blameless in all of this. I should have told you how I felt. I should have told you right away. I should have been better. I’m sorry for how I acted with you and Kuvira.”

“But you were right about her! About me!”

“That doesn’t justify my behavior.”

“Still I’m sorry about that,” Korra muttered.

The two of them sat together, arms still around each other, in silence for a bit.

“Korra,” Asami whispered, suddenly unable to look at her. “I need to apologize too. I was far from blameless. I… I did a lot of stupid shit. I felt hurt and betrayed even though you didn’t do anything and I lashed out and did a bunch of dumb stuff and blamed you for it even though it wasn’t your fault. And I’m sorry for everything with how you came out to me. It was just awful and I was a bit bitter and I’m an asshole. Sorry. I can’t believe I thought any of this was your fault. I’m so sorry how I reacted to all of it. I fought your silence with more silence. And then the one time you try to talk to me and you bring your girlfriend and I was just a real heinous bitch and god I’m sorry I was so mean and I’m sorry. Korra, I’m sorry for all of it.”

“It’s ok,” Korra told her as she tightened her hug. “It’s fine.”

“God I hate how I acted towards you before. I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted. And I think we’ve both done enough apologizing for everything we did before.”

“Yeah… So all is forgiven?”

“Yeah.”

“If we’re gonna be friends again, we need to be honest with each other. Really honest this time. About everything. People we like, people we’re dating. School, life. Everything. Deal?”

“Deal,” Korra said instantly.

“How did we even get into this mess?”

“Um.. I think it was prom,” Korra said.

“What does prom have to do with this?”

“Well I think that’s where it all started,” Korra said. “I mean we drunkenly make out and it was the first time that I seriously, for real started considering my feelings for you. And then the next day you shut me down. Hard.”

“God, I’m so sorry for that. I was super hungover and I’d blacked out the night before so all I remembered was making out with someone and then I see Mako looking all smug and I assumed that I had made out with my best friend’s ex boyfriend. And I thought you’d care about that, like it was some kind of betrayal and holy fuck did I screw up. I’m so sorry. Shit.”

“So then you shut me down and I’m there questioning my sexuality and I’m bitter at you for not returning my feelings,” Korra started.

“I do! I mean, I did!” Asami interrupted. “Sorry. Sorry. Continue.”

“Then I go off to college and I’m free and I basically fall for the first girl who looks at me twice and it felt like she validated me, or that part of me, which I was still sore about not getting from you. I gave Kuvira all of me as, I don’t know a bandaid for the hurt and it just made everything worse, especially when you tried to tell me it was a bad idea and I just read it as you being jealous or whatever that I was, I don’t know, honing in on your sexuality thing? I don’t know. I was angry and confused and feelings were hazy.”

“Oh my god. Korra I’m so sorry. I never wanted to invalidate your sexuality or your choices or anything. God I feel like such an idiot. I’m so sorry. Fuck. I was such an idiot. I knew I should have just told you how I feel. Felt. Sorry. I was angry too because I was wondering…” Asami took a deep breath before continuing. “In the effort to be completely honest… I was wondering why couldn’t you have figured out you liked girls with me… And I was jealous, really jealous that the hellbeast that was your girlfriend got to be your girlfriend and not me. Because I had a little crush on you for a while. You were one of the examples I used in my head to figure out whether or not I liked girls way back in the day.”

“Really?” Korra asked.

Asami forced herself to nod. “Yup.”

“Oh…Cause you were kind of that for me too. I mean it was later, but for a good chunk of senior year I was trying to decide if I want to be your best friend forever or your girlfriend and you were so hurt by Rox that I didn’t want to do anything and then there was prom and everything got super confusing after that.”

“Sorry.” Asami mumbled again.

“No I’m the one that should be apologizing.”

“Korra, stop apologizing, please. We- It’s okay. We’re okay. Right?” 

Korra’s eyes lit up at the words and she barely managed not to lean over and press her lips to Asami’s. Barely. “Yeah, we’re okay.”

“So, first things first.” Asami spoke with a smile. “Friends again?”

“Friends again.”

Both girls smiled at each other, feeling happy and somewhat free for the first time in a while. 

“So,” Asami started, “Since this is all Mako’s fault, really,” She grinned when Korra’s lips curled in a smirk, “We should totally make him pay. With his life!” 

Both girls laughed together, truly laughed for the first time in a long time.

“Maybe not with his life. Maybe just by buying us drinks.”

“But not whatever was in that punch after prom, cause that hangover was not pleasant.”

“It really wasn’t. I felt like shit that whole day.” Korra grumbled before her eyes went from looking at Asami’s to her lips where her gaze lingered for a moment too long then to her neck before she shook her head and said, “You know, in the interest of full disclosure, since we’re being honest and all…”

“Yeah?” Asami asked. She’d followed Korra’s eyes and now she was doing much the same, staring at Korra’s lips and her neck and her eyes.

“Are there…” Korra started but wrapping her head around this whole situation was hard enough, even without the problem of trying to find the right words. “Do you still have any feelings for me?” She finally mustered the courage to ask the one question that was still on her mind, and clasped her hands, nervously wringing her fingers together.

“I,” Asami hesitated when her gaze fell to the floor. She could end it all now, put a stop to all of this and keep her friend forever. Or she could do that one stupid leap that she’d been afraid of all this time and maybe, just maybe, she could have it all. “I do, yeah.” Asami half-whispered, still staring at the floor. She ran her hand through her hair before looking up to meet Korra’s eyes. “And you? Do you still feel something for me other than, you know, friendship?” Her eyes lingered on Korra’s but her breathing suddenly turned from calm and even to a hurricane. 

Korra looked away but her soft, gentle smile remained. When she glanced back to meet Asami’s eyes, tears were brimming in her own. With a silent huff she drew some air and the answer left her lips in a hushed, breathy voice. 

“Yes, I do.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys wanted them together, so you got it. Just maybe not how you were picturing it. >:D  
> The girls have finally had their conversation now it is just a matter of "can they get passed all of the emotional baggage and hurt they suffered over the last couple of years"?  
> We'll find out soon, hopefully >:D


	29. Undisclosed Desires

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here you go you hungry Korrasami shippers! Enjoy this little filler chapter, and as far as the next couple of chapters go, don't worry, there'll be plenty of Korrasami.

“But this is boring,” Korra said as she buried her head in her math textbook. “It’s boring and I’m tired and I hate this.”

“Come on,” responded Asami reassuringly. “You’re almost there. You’ve almost got this last thing and then you’re done.”

“Why did it have to be math?”

“Come on math is fun.”

“Math is fun for you, because you’re a nerrrrrrrd.”

Asami smiled. She seemed to be doing that quite a bit recently. Smiling more. Laughing more. Being in a general good mood. As usual, it was all Korra’s fault. Just having her best friend back was nice. It was amazing. And even if Korra still lived an hour and fifteen minutes away by train they still hung out most days. Asami wouldn’t trade it for anything at all. Although it would be nice having Korra closer.

_ Mmm, Korra closer. Closer. Skin on skin. Lips- _

_ No! Bad brain! _

“Uuuuuuuuuuugh,” Korra groaned continuously as she finished up the problem and then slid the work over to Asami to check.

It took only a second for Asami to see that the work was good. “Yeah, you did it. Good job. You’ll do fine on your final.”

“What kind of sadistic ass assigns homework a week before the final? I hate my school,” Korra said with her head still resting on the table.

“Well you just have one more week of this class and then your final in two weeks right?”

“Right.”

“Then once you get your grades you’ll be approved for your transfer and you won’t be so far away anymore.”

“Yeah, I’ll just be spending three hours on a train instead of a bus,” Korra groaned. “This whole thing is keep me from sleeping and from the gym and I hate it.”

She haphazardly threw all of her books into her backpack before stalking over to the couch to put on her shoes.

“Just one more month until you can transfer to any other college downtown and then you can find a place near the rest of us and everything will back on track. Just one more month Korra.”

All she heard in response was a deep sigh from Korra.

Asami stood up, away from her own homework, to talk to her friend but found her already asleep on the couch one shoe in her hand, the other one half tied.

With a little smile on her face, Asami pulled off Korra’s shoe, took the other one from her hand, and laid her on the couch. She didn’t really worry about Korra waking up since she had first hand knowledge that when she was out, she was out. So Asami just covered her with a blanket and on impulse kissed her forehead, not once stopping to think what she was doing. It only occurred to her a couple of minutes later when she was holding her phone and texting Senna to tell her that Korra fell asleep on the couch.

* * *

 

When Korra woke up the next morning, it took her a couple of minutes to figure out where exactly she was and what that fluffy thing tickling her nose is. After blinking a couple of times and yawning a dozen more times, she rubbed her eyes and sat up, squeezing the fluffy thing that’s been tickling her all along. When she finally managed to shake off the sleepy haze, she realized it was one of Asami’s stuffed toys and upon solving one mystery, she found herself in front of another the second later.

Why was she holding Asami’s stuffed toy? 

It wasn’t until a minute later that she realized the walls of her room were very different, as was her duvet, and that neither of those were, in fact,  _ hers _ . 

_ That’s right, you fell asleep on her couch. Ugh… _ Korra groaned at the memory, chiding herself for not managing to stay up long enough to drag herself home or at least saying a proper goodnight. She pushed herself off the bed, grabbed her phone from the drawer next to it and sighed when she realized she still had just enough time to get to class. Just as she poked her head out into the hallway, Asami appeared at the foot of it.

“Oh, Korra, morning.” Asami spoke quietly with a smile on her face and a mug in her hands. “Coffee?” 

“Yes please,” Korra grinned and made her way towards the bathroom on the opposite end of the hallway, “I’ll just be a couple of minutes.” 

“Sure thing.” She heard Asami speak.

A couple of minutes later Korra emerged in the living room with her eyes much clearer than before. The second she sat down on the couch a mug of steaming hot coffee appeared in front of her face and Asami plopped down next to her. 

“Thanks,” Korra murmured with a smile and wrapped her hands around the mug, bringing it close to her lips. She took a sip and hissed, muttering a curse when the hot liquid hit her tongue.

“Korra, the steam coming out of mug usually means it’s hot.” Asami chuckled beside her, taking a sip of her own coffee.

“Laugh it up, fuzzball.” Korra grumbled and placed the mug on the coffee table before glancing at a clock on the wall then turning back to Asami. “Hey Asami, didn’t I fall asleep on the couch last night?” 

“Yup,” Asami murmured, “I was a great friend and dragged you to the bed in my spare bedroom.” 

“Oh.” Korra huffed. “Thanks.” 

“Sure thing. Oh, wait, you’ve got a little…” Asami’s words disappeared as she placed her mug down and reached out towards Korra’s face, burying her fingers in her hair and lightly tugging on it. “It … Just… Ughh...  There.” She grinned in satisfaction and pulled back.

“What?” Korra blinked a couple of times, desperately trying to calm her heart down.  _ She was just fixing your hair. Just. Fixing. Your. Hair. No big deal. Stop thinking about it. Stop thinking about her hands in your hair. Stop this. Stop. Now. Stop. _

_ “ _ Korra?” 

“Uh. Huh?” 

“You zoned out for a moment there.” 

“Oh. Sorry, what were you saying?” 

“That you had a really resilient tuft of hair at the back that just didn’t want to fit in with the rest.” Asami smiled and brought her coffee back to her lips. 

“You fix it?” 

“Mhm.” Asami hummed.

“Thanks.” Korra beamed her a smile.

Asami barely managed to not drop the mug.  _ Well that smile sure is my kryptonite.  _

“Well I gotta go,” Korra groaned, “I hate these rides to and from college, god, it’s so annoying..” 

“I can imagine,” Asami mumbled, staring at her mug. 

“So I’ll talk to you later?” Korra asked a little hesitantly but Asami was certain there was hopefulness in the question.

“Yeah, of course.” She smiled and stood up to let Korra out of the apartment. She froze for a moment when Korra opened her arms and leaned in close, but a moment later she was wrapping her own arms around those gorgeous, broad shoulders and the world finally seemed to be right. 

_ “ _ I should have held her longer,” Korra grumbled to herself when she stepped inside the lift.

“Ugh, why didn’t I hold her longer?” Asami groaned when she shut the door behind her.

* * *

 

Asami was nervously waiting for a phone call. While she was waiting half of her was wondering what was taking so long and worrying about all the implications there in; the other half of her was chastising herself for being so nervous because it wasn’t even her final.

Korra’s math final started two hours ago. She said she’d call when she was done.

Did she fail and hasn’t called? Is she still taking it because she’s doing really badly? Did something else happen? Did the bus break down and drive off a cliff? Or most terrifying: did Asami read too much into this relationship?

Goddamn it.

Now Asami was pacing in her apartment. She should be focusing on her own studies, or this massive series of memos from the Future Industries latest companywide safety review. All of this was arguably more important, but the only thing Asami could think about was Korra and her stupid math final.

A sound cut through Asami’s internal freakout, a sudden noise that caused her to almost jump in the air.

It was her phone.

She practically dived across the table to get it.

“Hello,” she said.

“It’s over,” Korra said. “The test is over. I’m coming over and we’re getting booze and something terribly unhealthy. Like a pizza with mac n cheese on it which is the crust for another, cheesier pizza.”

“It went that badly.”

“I don’t want to talk about it just yet. Too soon.”

“Well I’ll have everything ready when you get here. I’ll put a bottle of wine in the fridge.”

“Asami. This is not a wine kind of night. This is something hard. Like tequila. Or just a bottle of whiskey for me and a bottle of whiskey for you.”

“Oh, no tequila. Anything but tequila,” Asami countered. She couldn’t drink tequila. It still tasted like that one party that didn’t happen. The one that didn’t happen because she doesn’t remember it.

Korra caught the tone in Asami’s voice, the tone that said “there’s a story here” and instantly she was reminded that she missed so much of Asami’s life because of her own selfish bullshit. “Yeah, well, I’m gonna stop at home first and then head on up to you. See you in like, ugh, two and a half hours.”

“Sure, I’ll see you then,” Asami replied, still just happy that she got to see Korra. That they got to spend time together.

A little under three hours later, Korra was knocking at Asami’s door.

“Booze. Food that isn’t any good for me. I need it,” Korra muttered.

“Hey,” Asami said as she let Korra in. “How did it go?”

“You know, I think it went fine, but it’s one of those things where I think I did ok but then I’ll get the test back and find out that I totally failed every single section. So… What booze do you have?”

“Aww poor baby,” Asami said as she wrapped her arms around Korra from behind. “I’m sure you did fine.”

Korra stiffened for a moment at the touch, but seconds later she was leaning back and almost whimpering when Asami let her go. “Booze.”

Asami chuckled and moved over to the kitchen. “Vodka, whiskey or tequila?” 

“Wow you actually went all out,” Korra grinned and hurried after her, “Hm… Whiskey.” 

“Do you want anything with it or do you just want a pint glass full of whiskey?”

“Surprise me,” Korra said with her smile still plastered to her face. God it felt so good being back here. She’d managed to forget about her stupid school stress for just a minute. Just being here with Asami was enough. “Oh shit! I almost forgot!”

Before Asami could even ask, Korra turned out of the kitchen and went to her coat and dug out a letter.

She thrust the envelope into Asami’s hands. “Open it.”

“Why? It’s addressed to you.”

“Yeah, but it is from your school, I think it’s about my transfer. And I can’t bear to read the bad news myself.”

Asami looked straight at her, staring into those bright blue eyes. Concern flashed in her own at the prospect of Korra’s transfer being denied. She’d already planned everything and Korra just had to get into her school.  _ Has to.  _ She took the envelope, carefully prying it open, and took a deep breath before pulling the notice out. She glanced back at Korra once more before her eyes settled on the piece of paper in her hands.

Korra’s mouth was open wide and her eyes held an expectant stare on Asami. “Well? Asami? Talk to me, c’mon.” 

When Asami finally looked up from the paper and their eyes met, Korra’s lips immediately twitched in a smile.

“No.” Korra said with a grin.

“Yes.” Asami mumbled with a matching one of her own.

“No way.” Korra stepped closer and took Asami’s hands in her own. 

“Oh way.” Asami’s grin remained as she tried to turn the paper over and show Korra her acceptance letter. But then Korra’s grip tightened and Asami’s gaze fell down on their joined hands. “Korra?” 

“This is so fucking great.” Korra mumbled with a smile, rubbing her thumbs over Asami’s knuckles. “I get to transfer to a place much closer and I get to… I get to be closer to you.” Korra’s lips widened in a smile and she blinked once before her gaze flickered down to Asami’s lips for the briefest of moments. When their eyes met once again, Korra could swear she saw Asami doing the same. 

“It really is great.” Asami murmured slowly.

“I can’t believe this is true.” 

“You better believe it.” Asami managed to pull one of her hands out of Korra’s grip and she dropped the papers on the counter before her hand wandered in Korra’s direction. She moved to brush a strand of stray hair behind Korra’s ear and just as her palm pressed lightly into Korra’s cheek and she felt Korra shift and step even closer, the intercom started buzzing maniacally. It took them both a couple of seconds to realize something was ringing.

“Shit,” Asami muttered and slipped away from Korra’s reach as she grabbed her bag and pulled out some cash from it. “Pizza. I forgot about it.”

“Right. Yeah. Pizza.” Korra murmured, leaning against the counter and trying to calm her breathing down. Two minutes later Asami returned with a giant box in her hands and Korra was still very much unsuccessful at keeping her heart rate normal.

“I’ve got delicious baked cheesey goodness,” Asami said when she reentered the kitchen.

“What a gorgeous sight,” Korra said before catching herself and saying, “I made whiskey cokes, but I’m not gonna lie, I think it is mostly whiskey with some coke coloring.”

Asami put down the pizza and took one of the drinks from Korra.

She took one sip and immediately started coughing. After a minute or two, when Asami got her breath back enough to speak she said, “Holy hell Korra, did you use pure wood grain alcohol in this?”

“Oh come on it can’t be that bad,” she said as she took a massive gulp.

Asami watched the horror play out on her face, with her chipmunk puffy cheeks holding the alcohol as Korra coughed heavily while trying not to spit out the precious liquor at the same time unable to stop coughing because of the alcohol burn.

Her friend was laughing too hard to help.

Finally Korra managed to swallow all of it before sticking out her tongue in disgust.

“You’re never gonna be my bartender ever again,” Asami said between giggles.

“Yeah, that was… that was bad,” Korra admitted. But then she shrugged. “My mama ain’t raised no quitter.” With that she took another swig of her drink and grabbed a slice of pizza.

* * *

 

“My ghod… Wha… What do they put in this swill?” Korra mumbled, swirling the whiskey in her glass before she took another sip. 

“Aphrodisiacs.”

“What?” Korra leaned over and put the glass down on the coffee table before diverting all her attention to Asami. She tried to focus as much as she could but her vision was all sorts of blurry.

“What?” Asami shot back with the same amount of confusion. 

“You are so drunk.” Korra grinned at her and leaned back down on the couch, sliding her hand along the fabric until her fingers met Asami’s. “Come cuddle with me.” She held her arms open wide and beckoned Asami into a hug. “Come on.”

The second she realized what Korra wanted, Asami leaned into her and melted in her embrace. Her arms were warm and tight around her but Korra gave her just enough space to feel comfortable. But even through her drunken haze, Asami couldn’t stop her mind from wandering and her heart from speeding up at their new position. When Korra took her hands into her own and laced their fingers together, Asami thought her heart might burst.

Or it might have just been the alcohol… 

But then Korra leaned over and rested her head on Asami’s shoulder and nope - definitely Korra, not the alcohol. 

“You’re a ghreath cuddler.” Korra slurred a little, even though her words were starting to sound better and better. “I like it. I like you.” She murmured the words silently and tightened her hold around Asami.

“Yeah?” Asami couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face. She lifted their joined hands and stared at their fingers, the way they fit just right against each other and how warm and safe it felt to be in Korra’s arms. “I like this. Us like this. We should totally do this more often.” 

“Yeah…” Korrra huffed, “But we can’t.” 

“Why-”

“I mean I can’t hug you when I’m back home. Let alone chuddle you and you know, like, kissing and stuff… I can’t do that from a distance.” Korra continued speaking in a low voice, with her head nestled next to Asami’s.

“But I’m here right now.” Asami murmured and pressed herself a little more into Korra’s embrace. Silence welcomed her, but only for a couple of moments.

“Yeah… You are…” Korra all but purred next to her ear before she let go of Asami’s fingers and slipped her arms away. 

Asami shifted in her spot a little, trying to turn around and look at her but she didn’t really get far. Korra had already moved in and her fingers grazed the soft skin of Asami’s cheeks mere seconds before her lips pressed into Asami’s. It was nothing if not gentle. And warm. And cautious. And restrained. 

But then Asami managed to turn around a little more and her angle was better, so she slid a hand to Korra’s hair and laced her fingers in it, pulled her in and dragged her tongue over Korra’s lips. Both of them pulled back immediately, only to stare at each other with eyes wide opened and lips slightly parted. 

If there was ever a fast way of sobering up, kissing Korra was definitely it. 

By the time Korra had managed to regain a few of her senses, the need to kiss Asami had grown all too big to deal with. And despite this not being the best time, and all her fears and doubts and expectations and, really, despite everything, Korra wanted to kiss her again. And again. And again until her lips were swollen and hurt. And so she did. Or at least she intended to when she moved in to press her lips to Asami’s once more.

But Asami was already talking. It seemed like she had been for a little while now. “... and you can move in because I mean you basically already spend enough time here to be considered a roommate. And we’ll be the best roommates ever! And we’ll get to hang out all the time and we can go to class together and get delicious food together after class and we’ll be best friends again! We can go to parties together and we can totally invite the boys over for drinks and bad movies or we can play board games! And it’ll be like old times and we can just sit on the couch under the blanket and cuddle like right now and it’ll be amazing. What do you think?”

Korra stared blankly at her for a minute or so. A minute that seemed like an eternity. 

_ Are we dating? Did I miss the part where she asked me out? Did this just happen? Or are we skipping over the dating thing and going right into the moving in together? Holy shit. I kissed Asami again. Asami kisses. She kissed me back. She actually kissed me back! She’s in my arms still! Holy shit does this feel right. Fuck. She’s staring at me. Do something. Say something. Say yes! _

“I…” Korra started, but all words seemed to have been lost on her. Instead, she cupped Asami’s face, pulled her in and kissed her once again. But it was a fleeting, brief peck that didn’t last nearly long enough. “Sure.” Korra murmured with a smile. “Yeah, I’d like to move in with you.” 

“Great!” Asami grinned and pulled her in a hug, wrapping her arms tightly around Korra’s shoulders. “This is gonna be the best.”

Korra smiled and hugged Asami a bit tighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you happy now? :D


	30. The Big Discussion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Have fun all ;)

Finally, it was happening. Today was the day, and it felt like the most important thing to ever happen to Asami.

After months of waiting, of unexpected delays, various issues of every conceivable kind, school schedules and work schedules that just didn’t let them get together. Korra was finally moving in with her.

Asami tried to tell herself that she was ready, but she wasn’t. She was nervous, eight different kinds of anxious, and she didn’t sleep last night.

It was a long time coming, almost two months since the idea was floated, since Korra agreed to move in with her. Two months ago since they both drunkenly made out on the couch and agreed to move in together.

And now it was actually, really, finally happening.

Asami couldn’t calm down. She had energy to burn and Korra wouldn’t get here for another couple of hours.

They haven’t even had a chance to have The Talk yet.

Korra enrolled in school, a whole two weeks late. Her teachers gave her two weeks to catch up. That meant she had two weeks to do four weeks worth of work. And then a week after that was midterms.

With a massive overload of school work, Korra had been incredibly busy. So Asami didn’t begrudge her not having time to have the frankly long conversation that was going to be The Talk About Feelings.

But the longer it took, the more time between them drunkenly making out and talking, the more Asami started to doubt.

Classes, getting furniture, getting a bed, find the bed that was lost in transit, school, work.

Everything had been conspiring to keep them apart it seems.

Then suddenly, this weekend happened.

The clouds parted. Everything cleared up. Asami had no plans all weekend, Korra finally had a single day free. And today she was moving in.

Suddenly, her cell phone rang and she almost jumped out of her skin. Eagerly she grabbed the phone, hit ‘accept’ and stammered a hello.

“Hey! Asami! We’re almost there. About… how long did you say dad?”

She could hear Tonraq off in the distance “twenty minutes”.

“Twenty minutes,” Korra said. “You ready for this Asami?”

Asami couldn’t help but smile. “Born ready.”

She could hear the smile and the joy in Korra’s voice. “Alright. I’ll see you soon.”

“Looking forward to it.”

Twenty three minutes later, Asami totally wasn’t just staring at the clock counting seconds, Korra was outside, ringing the bell.

And after another minute, Asami was downstairs opening the door for the entire Korra clan.

“Hey,” Asami said with a smile.

“Hey,” Korra said with an equally broad smile.

“Ok girls,” Tonraq said with several boxes stacked high in his massive arms. “Make faces at each other later, these boxes are heavy.”

“Sorry!” Korra said as she got out of the way.

“Where am I going?” Tonraq asked. “Someone direct me, I can’t see.”

“Follow me dad,” Korra said, “the elevator is at the end of this hall.”

“I’ll go help your mom,” Asami responded, “door’s open.”

It took almost an hour to move all of Korra’s stuff into the apartment. Asami didn’t remember Korra ever having this much stuff.

The hardest part was the bed. Because, of course it didn’t fit in the elevator, so that meant Tonraq and Korra had to carry the damn thing up the stairs.

When they finally did make it up, Korra smiled when Asami held the door open for them and Tonraq huffed, “Doesn’t Asami already have a bed?”

Korra and Asami had never shared a look more panicked, but behind him, Senna angrily whispered, “No helping!”

“Oh no heping says the lady who made her famous, or should I say infamous, man catching chocolate cake as a ‘housewarming’ gift!” he whispered back.

“Don’t twist my baked goods for your own nefarious purposes!”

“The recipe is literally listed under ‘man catching chocolate cake in your recipe book. You made it for me on our second date and then laughed at me when I tried to propose.”

“What are you two whispering about back there?” Korra asked.

“Dastardly plans,” Tonraq said.

“I was telling your father how good he looks carrying heavy objects,” Senna said.

As Korra made a face, Asami caught the barely raised eyebrow from Senna and the little smile that she shared with Korra. Unless Asami was wrong it looked very much like a “don’t they look good carrying heavy things?” look to her.

For about an hour, Asami’s apartment was the busiest it’d ever been. Tonraq helped move some stuff to make room for some of Korra’s things, and Senna helped set Korra’s room up. After the place finally started looking like there were two people now living there, Senna and Tonraq were packing to leave.

“Aren’t you staying for dinner?” Asami asked from the kitchen, trying her best to not cut herself while chopping some veggies. 

“Actually, Tonraq is having a couple of friends over tonight and I’d like to get a head start on this new book I’ve been wanting to read.” Senna calmly answered as she put on her jacket. 

Korra only shot them a ‘really?’ look and rolled her eyes while Asami pouted a little. 

“But I was hoping to spend some time with you, since we haven’t seen each other in a while.” 

“I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other more often now, won’t we?” Tonraq winked with a grin while holding the door open for his wife. 

Korra rolled her eyes yet again and slumped down on the couch. “I’m up for dinner!” She shouted and raised her hand. 

“You two girls have fun!” Senna yelled as the door shut behind them.

“Well, that was awkward.” Korra mumbled, more to herself than Asami before she pushed herself off the couch and strode to the kitchen. “So, what are you making?” 

“I was gonna make stir fry. Pretty easy stuff.”

“Well smells good, unlike me. So I think I’m going to go break in your shower,” Korra informed her.

“You have fun with that.”

After about ten minutes of cooking up food and listening to the hot water run, Korra finally exited the shower.

“Shit!” she heard Korra say. “Of course I forget a goddamn towel!” 

Before Asami could actually react, Korra was running across the room almost completely naked, with nothing but her folded clothes in her arms and covering - “covering” - parts of her. The spatula in Asami’s hand stood still for those few seconds, but then Korra disappeared in her new room and Asami continued stirring the veggies and staring off into space. She blinked a couple of times and released the breath she was holding before Korra came back into the room, this time wearing a substantially bigger amount of clothes and ruffling her still wet hair.

“God that smells good,” Korra mumbled and leaned over, taking a long, deep whiff of the wonderful scent that was filling the room. She glanced at Asami and arched an eyebrow in confusion. “Asami? You ok?” 

“Yeah, why?” 

“You’re kinda… Well you look like that sauce you’re working with.” 

“Huh, I am?” 

“Yeah, you are.”

“Oh, I’m… I’m… just… thinking.”

“Uh huh, sure. You are,” Korra said as she looked Asami right in the eye. “I have a very important question for you.”

“Yeah?” Asami asked, sounding not entirely confident.

“When can I eat it?”

Asami barely managed to form words, “Eat… Wha- Eat it?” She’d gone from hot to boiling in a second.

“Uh… Dinner?” 

Asami blinked a couple of times and cleared her throat. “Uh, five minutes. Yeah. Dinner is in five.” 

Korra stared at her in confusion but moved away, “Can I help in any way?” 

_ I could think of a few…  _ Was what Asami would have loved to say but instead she nodded towards one of the cabinets. “You can set the table.” She mumbled when she finally found her voice again.

“Aye aye cap’n.” Korra saluted and hurried towards the cabinet. Five minutes later she was bringing the food over on the table while Asami tried to figure out which bottle of wine to open. 

“Isn’t champagne in order?” Korra mumbled as she sat down at the table. “Y’know, ‘cause I’m moving in and you’re thrilled and want to celebrate?” Her lips pulled in a grin when she turned to look at Asami.

“Jeez, how could I forget.” Asami responded. “Too bad I’m all out of champagne. Pinot grigio?”

“I mean any lady that cooks for me and gets me booze can pick whatever booze she wants.”

Asami failed to suppress a smile.

Dinner was surprisingly familiar. They clicked like the old friends that they were.

“How do you like it?” Asami asked.

“I love it. It’s a great place, plenty of room for both of us, I get to see you basically every day. I’m excited.”

“I meant the food.”

“Oh, yeah, of course. It’s really good.”

“I’m glad.” Asami smiled softly. 

“We should totally have that cake my mom made for dessert.”

“Well, no men for us to catch so why not?” 

“I didn’t know we were trying to catch any men…” Korra grumbled slightly, getting the cake out of the box.

_ “I’m certainly not trying to catch any man,” _ Asami muttered to herself under her breath.

They ate all the stir fry pretty quickly. Because they both really wanted some of that cake.

“Holy shit,” Asami said after the first bite. “This is amazing cake. Good god. I need to get the recipe.”

“Secret family tradition,” Korra said through a mouthful of cake. “I’m sorry but I can’t tell you.”

Asami smiled, head full of wine, “Then I guess I’ll just have to marry you to get to your cake.”

Korra almost choked on her cake. “You’d do that to me? Your best friend? Use me for cake?”

“Hey! Who do you think I am?” Asami stared at her seriously, “I wouldn’t do it for just any cake. It’d have to be worthy.” She grinned back at Korra, swirling the wine in her glass.

“You are horrible,” Korra grinned back at her and stood up from the table. “Ok, seriously, I love your apartment but these chairs are horrible for my butt.”

_ We wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to your butt, nope. _

“Couch time?” Asami followed after her.

“Yup, and maybe some water time as well.” 

“Weakling,” Asami mumbled as she walked over and got them each a bottle of water from the fridge and hurried over to the couch. She plopped down and settled close to Korra without actually trying, handed her the bottle and snatched the remote from Korra’s hand. “I’ll be the boss of that tonight, thank you very much.” 

“Heeey, there’s a game I wanna watch!” 

“No games tonight.” Asami murmured with a smile before taking a deep breath and trying to calm herself. “How about tonight we just talk?” 

Korra gulped. “Talk about what?”

Asami shifted a little in her seat, pulling one leg underneath herself and leaning against the couch on her side so she could face Korra. “Well, uh… You know…” Her words came out with pauses as she tried to find the right ones. “About this,” She gestured to the space between them, “Stuff? About everything?” 

Luckily, Korra seemed to catch on pretty quickly this time. “Oh.” She swallowed once again and turned to face Asami as well. “I guess we should, yeah.” 

“It’s okay if you don’t want to.” 

“No, no. I do, I really do. I’ve been wanting to for a while but we’ve both been super busy and it kind of just slipped my mind.” Korra smiled sheepishly. “But hey, here we are, living together an all, might as well right?” 

Asami frowned at her words. “If you’re not up for it, we really don’t have to.” She moved to stand up but Korra’s hand on her wrist stopped her. 

“I was joking,” Korra murmured, “Badly, so it seems.” 

“Oh.” 

“Yeah.” 

“Where do we even start?” Asami asked, mostly herself though Korra answered.

“I don’t know. I didn’t really have a plan.”

“Me either. But I do know how I feel.”

Korra swallowed dryly. “How do you… feel?”

Oh god, this was it, the moment of truth. Asami took a moment, she was looking down, away from Korra. The moment of doubt. She almost didn’t go through with it. But then she looked up and saw Korra, her best friend, sitting on her couch, right next to her with something resembling a smile on her face and she just… she took the chance. The one she really didn’t want to miss. “I… I think the world of you. I think you’re my best friend and I’ve been… crushing on you hard since like grade school. And I know I really want to be everything for you.” The words were finally out and when Asami thought the weight on her shoulders would life off she didn’t really count on Korra actually hearing them. By now, she’d always said them to herself, alone, in her room and each time she did, she felt just a little lighter. But now… now there was Korra, here, right next to her, with that look in her eyes, and god, if Asami ever wanted to read someone’s mind, it was right about now.

“Uh… wow,” Korra said. “I mean I know the feeling. Yeah. I know that feeling. I feel the same way, I mean I think I do. But this is insane. Isn’t it? Our friendship over the last few years hasn’t exactly been super great. Both of our previous relationships weren’t entirely great and you just want to dive right into this? Us? With all of our baggage? Our… what… decade worth of baggage and being friends for just as long. I don’t even know where I’d start. Where’d we start.” Korra didn’t entirely know what else to say. She’d fucked up everything for so long. Honestly, Korra was just happy she had her best friend back, but a relationship? With Asami? Could she even hack that? Could it last for longer than a couple of days before Korra made it implode?

“Where we should have a while ago.” Asami only murmured and looked away from her. “Look, Korra… I know this is so uncertain and so horribly frightening but I… I don’t want to look at you and not be able to kiss you whenever I want to just because there’s some stupid fear stopping us. I want you, I have for too long.” 

“But aren’t you scared? Like, really,  _ really _ scared?”  

“I am. Jeez, I’m fucking terrified! But Korra… It’s you! You, and me and that excites me, more than it scares me.” Asami was looking at her again, with a certain fierceness in her eyes that Korra hadn’t seen in there for a while.

“I just don’t understand… Why would you want to be with me? With someone so messed up and so stupidly prone to fucking things up? Of all people, me?” 

Her words only made the look in Asami’s eyes even more intense.

“You’re kidding, right? Please tell me you’re kidding because you can’t actually expect me to believe you think I’d want someone else when everything I’ve ever loved is right here, in front of me. I want you because you’re you, Korra. It’s because of who you are, that I love you.” 

When the words left her mouth, Asami didn’t even flinch. She felt too strongly of Korra, and she needed her to know that whoever Korra was before, whoever she is now and whoever she might be, that is who Asami would always choose. Because it’s her, it’s Korra. In the midst of her own words though, Asami missed the moment the word love just casually slipped out. 

“But I… We… I hurt you, Asami! So much! And others… Fuck… I can’t just… You-”

“Stop blaming yourself. We both made mistakes and we’ve both apologized for them. God, Korra… I don’t know. I don't know anything really. But you are selfless and kind and smart and pretty, no, scratch that - you’re gorgeous, and I care about you more than I care about anyone else. I want to see you as happy as possible. And if that means dating you and romancing you everyday despite our rocky used-to-be-friends relationship then I'll do it. If it means being your best friend I'll do that too. But I care about you, so fucking much. I want to give this,  _ us,  _ a chance.” Asami was out of breath when the last words finally left her mouth. She had nothing more to say, her heart and soul were right there, out in the open, and for the first time in years, she finally felt as if both of those were at ease. If not lighter, but calmer. 

Korra was just stunned by Asami’s words. She looked at her friend, her best friend. The closest friend she ever had.This girl that she thought the world of, this wonderful, brilliant person that she couldn’t absolutely do without. The girl that she somehow, despite all the shit that they’d been through, managed to come back to. And this girl, Asami, was confessing feelings for her, asking to be her girlfriend in the clearest of ways. But the one and only thing going through Korra’s head was how badly she’d fucked up before. How stupid she was. Years before, but the mistake still felt fresh to her. She was still paying for it to this day, and she couldn’t imagine fucking up like that again. She couldn’t bare to be forgiven that easily, not by Asami and especially not by herself.

“Korra? What do you think?”

“I don’t know. I… I… I want this. But I think I can’t bother to fuck this up. I… I need a moment to think. I need a minute. Or two. Or five. Or maybe a day. I just need to think.” Korra quickly stood up from the couch and rushed away.

“Wait! Korra!” Asami called as Korra ran off to her room, the door closing behind her. “Come on, we promised to talk.”

Silence settled over the two of them, seperate silences in two different rooms. Silence for Asami was deep and full of anxiety and tension. The quiet that she couldn’t bear. Korra’s silence was the introspective, deep, immobilizing kind. She needed to think. There was a swirling force of emotions in her and she didn’t know which way was up any more.

After several moments Asami got up off the couch and moved to her bedroom. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

Just as she got to her bedroom door, the door behind her opened and there stood Korra.

“Korra, are you ok? You need anything?” Asami asked.

She tried to say something, say anything. But she couldn’t look anywhere but her shaking hands.

“Asami,” she said, and that was it. The name was all it took.

In a rush of moment, Korra was next to Asami, their lips pressed together, Korra’s hands on Asami’s cheeks. It wasn’t magical or otherworldly.There was nothing special about it, it wasn’t long or hard or a movie kiss. But it was just right. Just as it should be. Everything Asami needed, right in that singular moment. It was also over far too soon. 

Korra stepped back, her hands still half raised, a mildly stunned expression on her face. “Uh… goodnight.” Then she was gone again and the door of her room closed, once more.

Asami was left standing with the biggest turmoil on both her face and in her head.

_ THE HELL IS THAT SHIT? _ she yelled in her mind, taking gulp after gulp of breath, trying to make sense of what just happened.

After a second or two of stunned staring at her best friend’s door, Asami turned back to go into her bedroom.

Just like before, the second she stepped into it, she heard Korra’s door open.

“You really want to do this? Date me? I do stupid shit like this? I’m an idiot and a fuck up and I haven’t been to the gym in like a month. I’m a massive mess.”

“Korra,” Asami said, slowly turning around to face her. “The fuck do you think?”

“Is that a yes?” Korra asked shyly.

“Of course it’s a yes, you idiot.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How's that?


	31. Dorks and Dates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well they talked about it, now they're actually gonna do it: they're gonna date. And be massive dorks while going about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You wanted your fluff, well here you go.

They slept, not together and not terribly well, but they slept. In separate rooms, laying in the darkness and staring at the ceiling, thinking about the other.

To say that the next morning was awkward would be the biggest understatement since someone said “World War 2? eh it was kinda bad”.

Korra eventually slipped out of bed, discovering it was almost noon. She, bleary eyed and breath smelling of high hell, somehow stumbled her way to the bathroom. Which was very warm. That was weird.

But complex thought was not really welcome this early.

She just grabbed her purple toothbrush and went on the attack against her horrible morning breath.

Just as she was about to finish she heard a noise behind her and immediately turned around in surprise.

Korra’s train of thought went something like this: _Naked Asami. Why is she naked? Oh that’s the shower. Naked, wet Asami. Oh god she was in the shower. Mmm naked Asami. And I’m staring at the most glorious Naked Asami. Dear God, thank you for this._

Asami’s thoughts went in a slightly different direction: _Holy shit. Korra. Why is she here? Aww look at her bedhead. She’s so sleepy and cute. And I’m naked. In the shower. Aww she’s stunned. Because I’m naked. Get a towel Sato! Thank god for this cutie._

“Korra? Can you hand me my towel?” Asami asked after a single second which felt like an ocean of time.

“Oh, yeah,” Korra said, handing her the towel and then turning away from Asami, as it felt like she was being a creeper. “I’ll, uh, I’ll leave you alone.”

Asami covered herself with the towel, and smiled a little, “Thanks.”

Ten minutes later, hair still damp but elegant looking (seriously how does she do that?) Asami found Korra in the kitchen all bundled up in sweatpants and a hoodie pulled over tight, trying to block out the harsh light of day.

“Afternoon,” Asami said as she went to the coffee pot to make another batch.

“Hey,” Korra responded, awkwardly. What was she supposed to say, do? They said they were gonna date, but now what? And it certainly didn’t help that Korra had Naked Asami Sato Just Out of the Shower with Beads of Water Clinging to her Anatomy (™) forever seared into her memory.

A couple of minutes later, with Korra contemplating what to do with her ex-bestfriend current girlfriend, Asami handed her a cup of coffee.

“Milk and two spoonfuls of sugar, just like you like it,” she said before sipping her own cup.

“Thanks,” Korra said. She really wanted to reach out for Asami, to give her a hug. And this early in the morning, afternoon, whatever, Korra could really use some cuddles. But is that what is ok to do with this relationship? It’s so new. “Hey, can I ask you a question?”

“If you ask me if I’m sure about dating you, I’m gonna dump this coffee on your head,” Asami responded flatly.

Korra shook her head with a sheepish smile, “Not that. I’m done asking that question.” She was so keenly aware of the space between them. The small kitchen island that separated them. The two feet of countertop and wood. They could both stretch out their hands a little bit and touch, hold hands. But instead Korra was afraid to move, afraid to touch, to invade a space she wasn’t necessarily welcome in. “Um… I wanted… I wanted to ask if I could… maybe… um… hold your hand?”

Right then and there, Asami swore her heart would explode. Holy shit, it was happening. She was getting to date Korra! Her Korra!

She just nodded and slid her hand across the countertop.

Korra’s hand was warm and it was nice and this was just about everything Asami wanted right out of this moment.

“You don’t have to ask to hold my hand,” Asami said after a while of savoring the feeling.

“Yeah…” Korra sighed. “But…”

“But?”

“I mean we’re dating now. And I don’t know. Maybe you’ll want space from me some time. Or I don’t know. Not want to see me. Or maybe it’s too soon to get all touchy feely. I don’t know. I just don’t want to screw this up.”

“Korra,” Asami sighed and stood up from her seat, circling the counter and stopping just next to Korra. “You can’t screw this up by wanting to be close to me. You could never.” She murmured and moved her other hand to Korra’s cheek, cupping it gently. “If I need space, which I will at some point, I’ll tell you. But don’t ever question your own needs, please. If you want to hold my hand, take it. If you want to hug me, do so. If you want to k-kiss me, then kiss me.” She stuttered slightly at the last couple of words, feeling her own cheeks growing warmer. “I know you, okay? And you’re adorable. And warm, and cuddly and all the things that define you are things I adore. There’s hardly a thing you could do to screw this up. I mean you could always make me eat pineapple pizza and we’ll be through, but I know you enough to trust you won’t.” Asami smiled and kept her gaze on Korra. When she felt Korra lean into the hand on her cheek, her heart threatened to burst once again. “C-Can I be as free with you as I want you to be with me?”

“Of course,” Korra quickly answered and her eyes shot up to meet Asami’s once again. “Please, do.”

“But if I’m in my room and the door’s closed, safe to say I probably need to do stuff uninterrupted.”

“Ok,” Korra smiled. “Can we move to the couch? Because I’m not really awake enough to be totally vertical.”

The two girls grabbed their coffee and moved to the couch, where Korra flopped down, and Asami cuddled up next to her after turning on the tv and turning to the nostalgia ladened cartoon channel.

After a little less than an hour of coffee, cuddling, cartoons, and just enjoying the physical contact Korra cleared her throat, “Asami?”

“Yeah?” she answered, nuzzling just a little further into Korra’s embrace.

“I was… uh…” Korra started but Asami shifted in her seat and sat up to face her.

“You were, uh, being adorable?” She mimicked Korra’s words with a wide smile and let her hands rest on Korra’s lap.

“Yeah, wait, no, I want to ask you something.”

“You really are adorable. Also, you’re starting to sound like some sort of reporter or something with all these questions.”

“Sorry,” Korra glanced away, rubbing the back of her neck.

Asami resisted the urge to roll her eyes and reached out, gently grasping for Korra’s chin and making Korra face her with a couple light tugs. “Korra, come on you dork, what is it?”

Korra had been dreaming to ask this question for a long time, she’s prepared a speech or two, but she wasn’t expecting Asami to be so wonderfully distracting. Just the mere sight of her made Korra’s breath hitch in her throat and the words she’d planned to speak somehow dispersed. Asami’s simplicity and her beauty managed to steal what little thoughts Korra still had in her head, with the way she had that gorgeous little smile on her lips, or the way her eyes all but sparkled and her hair looked like she’d just fallen out of a shampoo commercial.

“I…” Korra started but nothing else came out.

Asami let the silence go on a little longer until she finally tilted her head to the side and waved her hand in front of Korra’s face. “Korra? Hello? Anyone there?”

“Yeah, it’s just… you’re distracting me! Stop being so cute!”

“I can’t help it!”

Korra smiled and then covered her eyes with her hand.

“Korra, what are you doing?”

“It’ll be easier to say this if I can’t see you.”

“You’re such a dork!”

“You want to go out with me on a proper date tonight?”

Asami sat up straight and pulled Korra’s hand from her eyes. “I’d love to.” She said with a smile and stared into Korra’s eyes.

“Yeah?”

“Of course. But please, no expensive dinners. Or super serious restaurants. Or anything like that. I want to able to hold your hand all the time and maybe cuddle with you. And kiss you, if you’d like that.”

“Duly noted.” Korra wriggled one hand out of Asami’s grasp and saluted.

“Dork.”

“Your dork.” After a second of hesitation, Korra murmured with a shy smile.

“Mine.” Asami half-whispered back and squeezed Korra’s hand with her own. “So where are you taking me?”

“I’ve got an idea or two. I would have more ideas but apparently I’m not allowed to take you out to fancy places.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah, but unfortunately it will require real pants.”

“Ugh, the bane of real life: pants,” Asami said. “So when did you want to go?”

“Well I need to shower and stuff. So like an hour?” Korra answered with a shrug.

“Ok, that’ll give me plenty of time to check my work email and stuff.”

“Reconvene here at… two?” Korra asked.

“Yeah, sounds good.” Asami said with a smile as they both stood up from the couch. “Oh and Korra?”

“Yeah?”

Before Korra could respond in any other kind of way, Asami had already leaned in and pressed her lips to Korra’s cheek for a couple of moments. She pulled back with a smirk.

“You’re so adorable.” Asami mumbled as she walked away.

“Uh-huh.” Korra simply hummed and stared after her before walking back to her own room.

* * *

 

Sure enough, it took Asami almost exactly an hour. Because what should have taken her ten minutes to check email turned into an hour worth of phone calls.

Finally her business concluded she managed to get changed into her favorite, worn, dark jeans and a super cozy maroon sweater. When she went to the living room, there was no Korra.

“Korra? Where’d you go? I’m ready,” Asami called out to the empty apartment.

Suddenly there was a knock at her apartment door.

“What the hell?” she asked as she moved to the door and opened it to find Korra standing there with a small bouquet of roses and the most adorable like smile on her face.

“Hey,” Korra smiled, equal parts at the joy of seeing Asami there and being proud of herself. “I got these for you. And if you’re ready, I’d love to take you out for some delicious grilled cheese.”

Asami was blushing and grinning. “Thank you, they’re lovely. Like you.”

Now it was Korra’s turn to blush slightly. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to kiss you right now.”

She didn’t get an answer, as Asami just pulled her in for a kiss. Their lips pressed together, and at the same time they melted into it. The kiss wasn’t too long but in the couple of moments it lasted, Korra could feel Asami’s feelings behind it, as well as her own feelings which somehow seemed grow even more. Asami, on the other hand, felt the tiny little sparks of desire that had been edging on her more often than not.

Asami took the flowers and put them in the apartment.

“Ok, I’m almost ready,” she said.

“What else do you need?” Korra asked.

“This,” Asami responded as she reached out and grabbed Korra’s hand to hold on to it. “Now I’m ready.”

“That was beyond cheesy.” Korra spoke through a chuckle, “But also incredibly cute.” She added.

“I think I can apply that exact same sentence to basically everything you’ve done today.”

The pair held hands the entire way to the date spot. It was an amusing little place that sold only grilled cheese and had a modestly stocked bar.

The girls smiled and blushed at each other the whole time. The conversation flowed easily and simply like any of innumerable conversations they’ve ever had.

Whenever they had time, they brushed fingers across the table and one of them, or both, would grasp the other’s hand and squeeze for the briefest of moments. The way their cheeks were crimson through most of their date only made both of them smile wider every time their eyes met. Even their feet occasionally touched and rested against each other. Occasionally Asami stole a fry from Korra, but she paid her back by offering her a taste of her sandwich.

Eventually they finished their food and drinks and Asami was the first to brush the topic of leaving.

“You wanna take a walk or something before we go back to ours?” Korra murmured as they walked out of the place hand in hand. It wasn’t until a minute later, when the silence became a little awkward, that she realized what she said. “I mean, uh, to yours. Your apartment. Yeah. So, a walk?”

Asami, on the other hand, was already too far gone in a fantasy or two. The word ‘ours’ made her heart clench and beat in ways she never thought possible and in those short moments that her mind wandered off to a future she wanted more and more with each passing day, Asami found herself grinning widely and completely ignoring Korra’s questions.

“Sami?”

“Yeah?” After a while of fantasizing, Asami finally snapped back to reality, “Sorry, what?”

“I asked if you wanted to go for a walk, maybe get some ice-cream or something before we head back.” Korra murmured while they walked slowly.

“Back to ours.” Asami mumbled, mostly to herself, but it was just loud enough for Korra to hear. It made her turn red all over again.

“Y-Yeah.”

Finally, Asami turned to face her. “I’d love that. All of that.”

Korra led Asami through a park near their apartment. The fall had finally taken root, so they walked through crunchy leaves and appreciated the changing colors and crisp afternoon air. The wind was a little chilly, so it gave Asami plenty of reason to cling close to Korra.

It only took a little while, but soon both girls were starting to get cold so it was time to walk back.

Outside the apartment door Korra looked at Asami and with a little mischievous glint in her eye said, “So… can I come in?”

Asami rolled her eyes, “You live here!”

“I know.”

With a smile, Asami pulled Korra in close. “Dork.” She gave her a quick little kiss. “Thanks for a great date.”

Korra grinned into another kiss and let her hands rest on Asami’s hips. “Thank you.”

Almost at the same time they both thought “ _God I love her.”_


	32. Not Entirely Unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're ready for nearly 9k words. There's everything you've ever wanted of this fic right here, in this chapter. Also, this is the chapter where this story "earns" its explicit warning. Also also, date a girl that makes wookie noises. Trust me.

When Korra figured living with Asami would be awkward, she never factored in the fact that she’d actually be dating her. And if she thought the whole dating thing would get easier as time went by, boy was she wrong. It wasn’t particularly hard, it was just very awkward. So  _ very  _  awkward. But both Korra and Asami realized it was because of the whole mess they’d gotten themselves into. If things between them happened differently, it would have been easier. But it wouldn’t have been as good. Or as special.

Like there were a few times Korra just wanted to get up from the kitchen table and kiss Asami, hard, passionately. But would that have been ok? Would that have been appropriate?

There were more than a few times Asami would see sleepy eyed, bed headed, utterly adorable Korra and she wanted to confess that she was so deeply in love with her. In love with Korra. Fuck, she’d been in love with Korra for years. But was this too soon? Too awkward? With everything they’ve been through should she say it now, or wait? Should Asami have told her sooner?

Both of them had dozens of moments scattered through the months like this. Awkward silences, awkward stares, and half spoken sentences that died in throats.

False starts. Asami would say they were false starts.

At some point it got even more awkward, when even hand holding felt so strange because they were both nervous and excited and shy and brash. But, after a solid two months of dating and living together, going through all those moments, things finally started falling in place. 

The first time it felt truly wonderful to be dating your best friend, was when they finally found themselves free on a Friday night. Their schedules rarely synced and actually seeing each other came down to little tiny, hazy morning moments and late night fuzzy talks where they were both exhausted. 

Asami was working hard with all her studies one part of day and the other she had to put her mind and body into her father’s firm because someone had to take over and she was rather looking forward to it. But it left little time for Korra, let alone anyone or anything else. Korra, on the other hand, spent all day at uni and every evening, she spent at least three hours working out, getting herself back into shape. But those were rare days, usually her workouts consisted of about five to six hours because abs. She needed her abs back if she was going to date the goddess that was Asami. And her biceps. And back muscles. And her firm butt. Yup. No goddess will date a flabby human, and Korra was determined to be the exact opposite.

It would be easy for Asami to say that she would be all over Korra no matter what she looked like, it’s Korra how could she not? That being said, Asami found herself staring at her roommate, her  _ girlfriend _ , more and more as the days wore on. Korra had always been in shape, but now she was getting more and more cut than she ever had before. 

That fateful Friday, Korra came back earlier than usual, took a shower and plopped down on the couch, found some old X-Files to watch and buried herself between cushions. Asami was already back but the door to her room was closed which usually meant she was working on something. But she came into the kitchen a couple minutes after Korra settled onto the couch, she peered over at the TV, noticed the show running and hastily grabbed some juice and ran over to join Korra. 

“You’re home early,” Asami commented as she settled on the couch next to Korra.

“It’s my cheat day,” Korra admitted. “So I only spent two hours at the gym. Now I plan on lazing about.”

“Oh, only two hours?” Asami teased and reached over, grasping at Korra’s arm and lightly squeezing the already firm muscles there. “Sure it was just two?” 

“Yes!” Korra said defensively.

“I’m just teasing,” Asami said as she leaned over and rested her head on Korra’s shoulder.

Korra’s arm immediately slipped around her waist and her embrace tightened when they settled into one another. Before they knew it, the X Files were long forgotten and they fell asleep cuddled close on the couch. 

Sometime around 4 in the morning Asami woke up with her legs tangled with Korra’s and her arms wrapped around Korra’s waist. Her arm was asleep, and there was a crick in her neck. Asami had the comfortable spot, more or less on top of Korra, who she could only assume was going to wake up sore. When she finally managed to untangle herself and slip off the couch, she leaned over, peppered little pecks all over Korra’s adorable, sleepy face until she finally woke up. Then she took Korra’s hand, laced their fingers together, and dragged her girlfriend back to her bedroom and slightly larger bed. Korra flopped onto it after clumsily taking off her sweats, slipped under the covers and pouted when Asami took too long to join her. 

“Come back,” Korra moaned almost silently.

Asami spared a smile for a second as she marveled at the sight and then immediately slipped into the blankets and Korra’s warm embrace. The warmth, all the fuzzy feelings in her head and the calmness of Korra’s steady heartbeat were more than enough for a good night’s sleep.

All of that came down by the rough and terrible and totally awful sound of Korra’s alarm screeching in the early afternoon.

She groaned and tried to reach out and slap the thing off, but she kept missing it.

“Uuuuuuuuuuuuugh,” she said as she actually had to open her eyes and look around.

When Korra actually opened her eyes, she realized three things: one, it was much too bright in here; two, it was very warm in this bed and she never wanted to leave and three, this is  _ not _ her ceiling.

That was when she noticed that this was not her room. It was only so warm because Asami was asleep, cuddled up next to her. No, not cuddled up. Almost wrapped around her in a weird but very warm and adorable way. But alas, she was gently stirring into wakefulness.

The damned thing kept booming through the apartment and sadly, Korra had to go and turn it off. She tried to move but Asami’s arm was still draped over her waist and their legs were somehow tangled. 

“Uh… Asami?” Korra murmured groggily. 

“Mmmhm?” Asami only hummed, without actually opening her eyes. 

“Could you, um…” Korra’s leg twitched as she spoke and thankfully - and sadly - Asami seemed to get her point.

“Oh yeah, sorry.” She mumbled and turned over, wrapping the blankets around herself as she turned to her side. 

Korra slipped out of bed, ran to her own room, turned the damned thing off and ran back, settled in bed once again before realization finally struck.

“Shit,” She muttered as she got out of bed again. 

Asami turned over to look at her for a moment, squinting, “Where are you going? Come back to bed.” 

“Workout,” Korra grumbled walking around Asami’s room in search of her sweats. 

“Noooo,” Asami pleaded, “Come back. Cuddles...” She squirmed and reached out with one hand peeking underneath the covers.

Korra chuckled at the sight, kneeled beside the bed and pressed a soft kiss to Asami’s half-covered cheek. “I promise to cuddle with you later today, deal?” 

Asami grumbled slightly but eventually she nodded and tilted her head to peck Korra’s lips. “Fine. I’m gonna hold you to that.” She mumbled before pulling the covers to her eyes. “Have fun.”

“I will try.” Korra grinned at her, glancing over her shoulder as she walked out of Asam’s room.

That evening, though, Korra didn’t get to cuddle much with Asami. She got back much later than the night before and Asami was still neck deep in work with the doors to her room closed. She came out about half hour later, only to find Korra dozing off on the couch. When she went to take a shower and came back, Korra had already moved to her own room and was probably asleep, so Asami went back to her own room and moved back to her desk, grumbling when she remembered what a pain the project she had started turned out to be. 

Her muttering and grumbling turned into a full blown talk with herself after a couple of hours, but she hardly noticed how late it was. It wasn’t until she heard Korra knocking on her door that she realized it was already 3am on a Saturday night and she was still neck deep in papers and work, pacing around her room and talking with herself. 

“Come in,” She mumbled and set the papers down, leaning against the desk when Korra stepped in.

“Um, sorry.” Korra walked in, holding a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, clearly dazed and sleepy.

“Oh god, I was too loud wasn’t I? I’m so sorry, I kept you up ‘cause I got so carried away with this stupid thing and you need your rest and fuck, it’s already 3 in the morning and ugh, I’m horrible!” Asami all but slapped a hand to her forehead, groaning at herself.

“No no, I was actually up,” Korra mumbled, glancing around the room.

“You were? At this hour?” 

“Yeah, um, actually, I couldn’t sleep.” And when she saw Asami’s guilty facial expression hastily added, “Not because you were too loud…”

Asami’s face changed from horrified to confused in a second. “Then why?” 

“Well, actually, I was wondering…” Korra stuttered a little, letting go of the blanket with one hand and rubbing the back of her neck, a nervous habit of hers, “Can I sleep in your bed?” She looked up a little hesitantly, but her features were nothing but warm and serene.

“Oh.” Asami mumbled. “Oh! Of course. Yeah. Sure. Go ahead.” She added with a small smile. “I’ll join you in a few minutes, I just need to, um, I’ll just put these away.” She moved around the desk, picking up papers and sorting through them as Korra moved to her bed and threw the blanket on it.

“I left the light on in my room, gonna go turn it off.” 

“Kay,” Asami murmured back and hurried to clean up her desk. She just finished as Korra walked back in and closed the door. Asami glanced at her with a small smirk playing on her lips. “I think you owe me some cuddles.” 

“I sure do.” Korra grinned at her and left the covers open, waiting for Asami to settle next to her. 

After a few moments of cuddling, both girls were pleasantly asleep.

And so, rather unintentionally, a routine was established. Korra and Asami shared a bed. They both slept so much easier. It felt like it was such an easy routine to fall into. And every morning, Korra’s alarm went off, and every morning, Korra all but crawled back to her room or, if they were already sleeping in her room, crawled out of bed to shut the damned thing off. It was a silly little routine, but it was the best thing that could have happened to them. 

And sleeping next to each other was just amazing. All warm and cuddly, with little kisses shared every now and then, gentle lips pressed onto soft skin and teasing fingers occasionally exploring, but never too much. It was just right, and with each passing day, it felt better and better.

* * *

 

In the next two weeks, doubts started slowly piling up in Korra's head. Not the bad kind, but the really deep, mind-boggling, gut-wrenching doubts that mostly consisted of three words that seemed to be at the tip of her tongue more often than not.

  1. _Love. You._



There were so many times where it almost slipped out. She was so close to just telling her. Saying the most important phrase in her entire life. Telling Asami Sato, her best damn friend, that she loved her.

It should have been so simple. But she still couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud.

Was it too soon? Or did she somehow miss a window where she should have said it?

Thoughts of prom and that utter disaster were bouncing around her head.

For two weeks. Fourteen days with Asami and fourteen nights sleeping next to her and fourteen mornings waking up next to her. For two weeks Korra got the utter bliss of being Asami’s girlfriend in every sense of the word.

Finally, one lazy Saturday morning spent wrapped up in Asami’s arms and in her bed, Korra had made up her mind.

She was going to tell Asami that she loved her. She couldn’t keep it in any more.

After almost an hour of cuddles and kisses and hiding from the sun, Korra pulled herself out of bed.

She was gonna work out, and on her way back, she’d stop and get some flowers and do the whole grand romantic gesture thing. Treat Asami like the queen she is.

That meant that Korra was gonna have a short day at the gym, only an hour or so.

Despite not getting in her full workout, Korra felt good. She felt great even. There was a flower shop not too far away. She was almost there when a car with a broken muffler roared by in front of her, throwing trash out the window without even slowing down.

“Jackass,” Korra called out as the car disappeared. “Who throws garbage out of a moving car?”

She was about to turn into the flower shop, when she heard a noise, a small, tiny, whimpering noise. 

A noise coming from where the trash came flying out of the car.

With a dawning realization Korra ran over to the little heap of trash. Only it wasn’t a bunch of dirty papers like she thought. It was a tiny, little, crying dog. Barely the size of Korra’s forearm, with white fur everywhere that looked dirty.

“Oh poor baby,” Korra said through her steadily breaking heart.

The little puppy barely had enough strength to snap at Korra as she picked it up.

The dog was shivering in the relative cold, so Korra put the little fluff ball in her jacket and started walking.

If she remembered correctly there was a little veterinary office about half a mile away.

* * *

 

Asami had to run out to get to grab some paperwork from the office while Korra was at the gym, which wasn’t surprising, Korra did love the gym. So she was a little surprised when not only was Korra back, but she was greeting her at the door.

“Ok Asami,” Korra said immediately.

“Oh hi, Korra. What’s up?”

“I have to get you to promise me that you won’t get mad.”

“Get mad at what? For what?”

“I couldn’t help myself,” Korra said. “She was injured and so cute and they were so mean to her and I couldn’t stop myself.”

“Korra… What did you do?” 

“Uh…” Korra responded as she went into her bedroom and came out with a something behind her back.

“What did you do?”

“She’s so cute!” Korra responded as she put a fluffy, thing… in Asami’s hands.

“Korra…” Asami responded as the fluffy ball of fur in her hands started licking her face, “did you… just… get… a dog?”

“Her name is Naga, and she’s a bizarre mix of multiple dogs and she’s got all her shots and she’s the cutest thing in the world.”

Asami looked over the puppy in her hands and noticed that there was a bright blue bandage wrapped around one of the puppy’s paws.

“What happened to you going to the gym?”

Korra explained the whole story as Asami pet the puppy who had almost immediately fell asleep in her arms.

“Aw poor puppy,” Asami said quietly. “Ok, I agree that she’s super adorable and I do want to keep her, but where are we gonna put her?”

Korra smiled a little tiny bit and rubbed her neck. “Um… so I was thinking… that… I could just… sleep with you every night… like we’re already doing… and Naga can have my room?”

Asami arched one eyebrow for a moment. “That’s… actually a really good idea.” She grinned. “So. Are we like an old married couple now?” 

Korra’s cheeks turned a crimson shade in an instant. “Wh-What?” 

“Well, we’re living together, we  _ are _ together, we know everything about each other, how to annoy each other and we just got a dog. That’s the whole package, right?” Asami’s grin remained while Korra hurried to the kitchen, busying herself with whatever she could.

Asami’s words reminded her of what she’d planned on doing that day and somehow all shyness, awkwardness and nervousness came flying back. 

Later that night, Asami was sitting down on the floor, running a tiny ball over the carpet and chuckling each time Naga tried to bark whenever her hand moved. Korra sat across her and next to the couch with her phone in her hand, filming the whole thing, when she caught the sight of Asami’s face on the screen. She stared for the briefest of moments then shut her phone off and put it away, wringing her hands together and leaning against the couch. Her lips curled in a smile when Naga barked her tiny barks a few more times but her heart sped when her eyes settled on Asami. 

She had the most beautiful glint in her eyes, one that meant warmth, and joy and everything that’s good in the world. Korra saw not only the gorgeous green in them, she saw so much more. Everything she’d come to love, everything she knew was behind them. Everything that she had yet to discover and all she could ever wish for. All that, and so much more. 

“I love you.” 

And there it was. So natural. So simple. With a soft, gentle exhale. Without any fuss or drama. And then the calm that came with it. The ease in her chest and warmth that spread rapidly through her whole body. 

Asami looked up from the puppy, her eyes widening. “Wh- What?” 

“I love you.” Korra said it again. 

Asami let go of the ball, ignoring the way Naga decided to crawl into her lap at that moment and chew on a patch of her jeans just above her knee. It didn’t matter. Nothing but the words she’d just heard mattered. 

Korra’s own eyes widened when a single tear slid down Asami’s cheek. Then another. And another.

“Asami?” Korra mumbled nervously.

“I- Oh fuck,” Asami mumbled when a sob broke through her words. Her hands flew to her face, rubbing away the tears. 

“Shit.” Korra muttered. “I should have waited, shouldn’t have I? Crap. I knew it. I just… Fuck, Asami, I’ve loved you for so long and now all I want is to shout it all the time and there I go ruining this fucking amazing thing we’ve got going ‘cause I’m so impatient!” Korra babbled, hanging her head low and rubbing at her temples. “I’m such an idiot.” 

“No, Korra,” Asami started and tried reach over but the pup in her lap was a minor obstacle. She put it gently away and scooted over, pressing her hands to Korra’s cheeks and lifting her head. “These are happy tears you idiot.” 

“What?” 

Asami leaned in and pressed their lips together in a long, gentle kiss. She pulled back only slightly and murmured, with their lips still touching a little.

“I love you too.” 

Korra’s lips quivered. “Yeah?” 

“Mhm,” Asami hummed and pulled her into another kiss. “God, I’ve want to tell you that for so long. I love you. I love you Korra.”

Korra’s hands slipped to her waist as she pulled Asami closer. “Tell me about it, I’ve been going crazy ‘cause of not saying it.” She chuckled when Asami kept pecking her lips. “I love you. So much.” 

“And I love you.” Asami murmured and kissed her again, lingering a little longer. But then she pulled away suddenly, sitting up straight and glancing around. “Korra, do you hear that?” 

“Hear what?” Korra stared in confusion, hearing nothing but utter silence in the room.

“Exactly.” Asami mumbled and moved to stand up when they heard Naga’s tiny bark from across the room. “Oh thank goodness.” Asami exhaled and called for her. “There you are,” She grinned when Naga shuffled into her arms. “Where’d you run off?” 

Korra stared with a goofy smile for a couple more minutes as Asami rummaged through their kitchen in search of the dog food Korra had brought back. It was a sight to behold. And one Korra could totally get used to.

* * *

 

The next couple of weeks flew by in a flash. 

Korra’s schedule was getting a lot less busy when she got ahead with almost all her classes, and workouts became a little shorter albeit more intense. But every evening she came back earlier and she got to wake up a little later than usual so the exhaustion wasn’t all that much there anymore. 

Asami’s dad had been getting a lot better and some of the board members took over a large portion of work that Asami had been doing so she had weekends and most evenings completely free. School barely ever took up too much time with how dedicated she was, which left even more time for her to spend with Korra. 

Every evening they had free, they’d spend either cuddled up on the couch, watching TV and talking till they snoozed on it and moved to Asami’s bed. Naga had almost completely taken over Korra’s room (now that she’s almost doubled in size) and neither Korra nor Asami really minded their sleeping arrangements. 

This was one of those evenings, with Korra sprawled on the couch and Asami laying on her with her one arm wrapped around Korra’s waist and the other running through Naga’s soft fur, while her head rested on Korra’s shoulder. Their breathing was almost matching, slow and calm, though Asami grinned each time Korra took a deep breath and her chest rose a little more than usual. 

She tilted her head and pressed a soft kiss to Korra’s chin, chuckling when she felt Korra shiver. She did it again, grazing her teeth over it just barely to tease her but then she felt Korra’s hands slide to her waist and grip, making her heart beat a little faster. 

“Tease,” Korra murmured, turning to meet her lips. 

Asami melted into the kiss, scooting up. She brushed her hands up Korra’s arms and over her shoulders until they were wrapped around her neck, her fingers twirling the soft locks of hair at the back of Korra’s neck.

Korra’s lips parted as she deepened the kiss, but Naga chose that precise moment to whine at the lack of contact. They both burst laughing into their kiss before turning to look at her. 

“Demanding.” Asami mumbled but her arms remained in their place. 

Korra’s grip tightened once more as her hands slid to the small of Asami’s back, and she let the rest there while she peppered soft kisses over the side of Asami’s cheek. “Sami,” She murmured into her skin, nibbling lightly, “Asami.” She mumbled, pouting when Asami kept her gaze on Naga. “I’m your girlfriend, you know, you can’t just ignore me.” 

Asami tilted her head and pulled back so she could look at her. “I could never.” When she leaned back down she captured Korra’s lips in another kiss and smiled into it when she felt Korra’s hum of approval. 

Eventually, Naga stood up and moved away. They both supposed she got annoyed with all their smoochy noises and laughed when she whined slightly and made her way to her room.  

“She’s a real piece of work,” Asami murmured between kisses. 

“Mhm, just like her owner.” Korra grinned, “Ouch!” 

“That’s for calling me a piece of work.” Asami mumbled with Korra’s lip between her teeth. 

“Exchuse syhou. I whas refferhing to mhyshelf.” Korra tried speaking but it all come out as a silly mesh. She licked her lip when Asami finally released it, and pouted at her. 

“Well in that case - yup.” Asami said with a smirk and pulled back just in time to avoid Korra’s attempt to nibble at her chin again. “A-a. Too slow.” 

Korra’s hands slid up her back, stopping at her shoulder blades. The touch was quick and meant to be jokingly teasing but somehow, it managed to spike all sorts of shivers in Asami’s body. Shivers and waves of desire and want and need. So much excruciating need. She bit her lower lip, pulling it between her teeth, hoping she could distance the low hum that was starting to spread through her but then she met Korra’s eyes and that only made things worse. So,  _ so  _ much worse. 

The look in them was nothing what she’d expected. 

Korra’s pupils were blown and if her eyes could change colour, there’d surely be a very flame-like red by now. There was nothing but heat and desire in them. Raw and so very appealing. 

“Can… we maybe… move this… to the bed?” Korra mumbled in a low, breathy voice. 

“Y-Yeah…” 

“So, we should…” Korra said as she tried to sit up, but Asami was still on top of her, so the only thing that happened was Korra accidentally hitting Asami’s chin with the top of her head. “Oh shit! Ouch! I’m sorry!”

Asami just laughed. “Korra. It’s fine, it sounded worse than it was.”

“Are you sure?” Korra asked as she held her girlfriend’s face in her hands. “I’m so sorry.”

“Korra,” Asami said firmly. “I’m fine.” She pulled Korra into a fierce, desperate kiss. “Now. Where were we?”

“Don’t remember,” Korra said as she kissed Asami once more.

Asami rolled her eyes with a smirk, “Bedroom. You can continue being a complete dork there.” 

“Mmhm, yes.” Korra said and slipped her hands underneath Asami’s butt, squeezing slightly and grinning when Asami’s all but squealed in surprise. Korra used the distraction to pull her closer and push herself off the couch in one swift motion, swinging her legs to the side and standing up. “So, bedroom.” She let Asami slide down and stand on her own, but her hands remained pressed close to her body.

Asami nodded into another kiss, running her nails down Korra’s scalp gently, before her fingers tangled in her hair and she tugged, making her girlfriend tilt her head to the side. She let her lips slide down to Korra’s jaw, placing warm, wet kisses there, at the same time using her grip to pull her girlfriend as she moved away. And Asami made sure to continue to keep her lips connected to part of Korra while slowly shuffling through the living room utterly under Asami’s direction, trying to reach the hallway that lead to Asami’s bedroom.  _ Their _ bedroom.

The walk to their bedroom was slow. Too slow. They kept stopping to pull each other close, kiss more deeply and press their bodies into one another, shuddering whenever the other would linger a little longer. More than once Korra ended with her hands above her head, pressed against the wall with Asami’s leg between her own legs, and her knee pushing teasingly higher.

And at that same moment Naga barked at the two from her doggy bed in Korra’s old room. Asami kicked over one of Naga’s squeaky toys towards the dog which was immediately snapped up and bitten viciously.

A couple of steps before their bedroom, Korra managed to pin Asami against the wall, holding her wrists and biting her way down to her soft shoulder. Naga peeked her head out of Korra’s room and chose that moment to run towards them, nearly knocking them over when she jumped on Korra.

Asami squealed in surprise and Korra turned towards the dog, glaring at her but quickly changing her expression. She turned to Asami, mumbling a ‘one second’ and grabbed Naga, disappearing in her room a reappearing a few seconds later. She closed the door behind her and grinned when spotted Asami leaning against the door frame. “All taken care of.” She mumbled when she passed the distance between them in a few short steps and her hands immediately surged towards Asami’s waist. 

They stumbled into the room, pulling the door to a close, with Korra yelping when she hit her head against them as Asami pinned her. But the moment of distraction lasted for a few seconds because Asami’s lips were leaving a hot trail down her neck and Korra could barely focus on anything besides the sensations Asami was making her feel. 

By the time they managed to move away from the door, clothes became a nuisance. But taking them off turned out to be a task not easily handled when your girlfriend’s got you squirming and shuddering. 

Korra’s t-shirt turned out to be the first victim of Asami’s onslaught. It came off almost immediately and ended up on the other side of the room. Luckily, Korra was wearing sweats so those proved to be quite easy to take off. 

Korra, however, wasn’t as lucky with undressing Asami. 

Her wooly sweater got caught on... . something while Korra tried to take it off and after a couple of torturous seconds, Asami grumbled and pulled it off herself. Korra pouted a little but then her eyes settled on Asami’s almost bare chest and all thoughts seemed to fly out of her head. And all the warmth in her body seemed to flow somewhere lower, until that light buzz she was feeling began turning into a persistent throb. Asami used the distraction to shimmy out of her jeans and by the time Korra noticed, she’d already moved back close, running her hands down Korra’s arms.

“So...bed?” Asami murmured next to Korra’s ear, brushing her lips against it. 

“Uh… Uh… Uh…” Korra started, temporarily stunned. “Yes. Bed. Definitely yes.”

“Wordy.” Asami teased as she took Korra’s hand in her own and laced their fingers, tugging gently. 

“Uh huh.” Korra followed her, swallowing the lump in her throat.

Asami would never admit it, but the only reason her hands weren’t shaking was because she was holding so tightly onto Korra’s.

“Are we doing this? Are you sure?” Asami asked. She was certain this is something she wanted. She’s wanted this forever. For almost as long as she’s known Korra, almost as long as she knew she liked girls too.

Korra kissed Asami and mumbled another “uh huh” before pushing her down onto the bed gently. She leaned down immediately to recapture her lips in another kiss, murmuring between each press of their lips. “I want this. And you. I want you.” 

While Asami scooted further up on the bed, Korra followed, leaning on one hand and letting the other skim down Asami’s side, tracing her fingers over the supple, warm flesh and kneading into it. Every time she’d do so, Asami let out a soft, barely audible gasp, and as Korra’s hand moved further up, Asami’s hips bucked a little into her. 

Korra settled between Asami’s legs, never once leaving her lips. She kissed, tugged, nibbled and flicked her tongue over them teasingly, grinning whenever Asami either bit hers back or let out a hushed growl. She was leaning on her elbows and her own hands were pressed into Korra’s abs, scraping along the defined muscles as if she was trying to remember every speck of Korra’s skin with them.

Lost in the moment, Asami let out a needy growl, a sound from the back of her throat that sounds sexy and needy in her mind.

Korra however stopped what she was doing, and just looked at Asami. Her blue eyes sparkling and a lopsided smile stuck on her face. It would have been adorable if it wasn’t in the middle of some very sexy times.

“What the hell was that?” Korra asked, trying super hard to contain some laughter.

“I… What? It was a sexy growl. I.. kinda want to tear the last of your clothes off!” Asami defended herself. Why was this a thing that she needed to defend against.

Korra was laughing now, full on, hysterical laughter at this point. “Ahaha, oh god.” She dropped onto the bed next to Asami, laughing uncontrollably, shoulders shaking, tears starting to well up. “Oh god. You sounded like… a sexy… wookiee…”

“A what?” Asami asked indignantly.

Korra was gasping for breath at this point. “A… sexy… wookiee.” She took a deep breath and managed to get about half a second of a passable wookiee impression before descending into hysterical laughter again.

God damn was Korra’s laugh not only adorable and sweet and beautiful, it was infectious. Instead of feeling embarrassed or anything else she would have usually felt, Asami found herself smiling and laughing alongside her girlfriend.

“You’re an idiot,” Asami mumbled through laughter, leaning back until her back hit the bed fully. 

Korra turned on her side, wiping away a bit of tears that formed at the side of her eyes, as she tried to compose herself. “You love it.” She laughed out once again, turning away from Asami and laughing into the pillow. “Oh god I can’t stop!” She yelled through the laugher, with her whole body shuddering. About a minute later she quieted down and turned around once more, lying on her back. “Ok... ok... I'm better now.”

“You sure?” Asami murmured softly, running a finger down Korra’s arm. 

“Mmhm yup. All better.” 

“Well then.” Asami spoke in a voice much sweeter but firmer than before as she leaned on her elbow and faced Korra, waving a pair of fingers towards her. “You want to take your bra off and kiss me.” 

Korra stared at her for a moment before her eyes widened and her lips spread in a wide smile. “Why yes. I want to take my bra off and kiss you.” She scrambled to sit up, slipping her hands back and unclasping her bra, letting it fall down her arms when she moved them back up front. 

Asami swallowed past the lump in her throat and licked her lower lip, pulling it between her teeth. She sat up as well and reached out with one hand, pressing it against Korra’s cheek and caressing it gently. She let it fall down Korra’s form slowly, brushing her fingers down her neck, scraping her nails over Korra’s broad shoulder and down her strong, sculpted arms before her hand finally wandered to Korra’s breast. She looked up for a moment, meeting Korra’s eyes and searching them for permission.

And she got it, when Korra nodded her head. Seconds later a groan escaped past her lips when Asami’s palm pressed into the plump flesh and Asami’s fingers captured her already stiffened nipple. She arched into the warm touch, shuddering when Asami squeezed lightly and their knees brushed as Asami leaned in closer. Seconds later she was straddling her with both her hands on Korra’s breasts, playfully squeezing and teasing with each flick of her fingers. 

Korra’s own hands fell down to Asami’s waist but she slid them up her back in a languid motion, pulling on the clasp of her bra and slipping the straps down Asami’s arms. She flung the constricting fabric somewhere across the room and leaned back a little to admire the sight. 

Her breath caught in her throat and her mouth felt drier than ever.

Korra reached up with her hand, not even bothering to conceal the way she was shivering. “You’re gorgeous,” She murmured as she brought their lips into a warm, gentle kiss. 

“You’re shivering,” Asami murmured into it but moved in for another kiss right after it.

“I’m nervous.” Korra mumbled as she moved slowly down Asami’s cheek and to her neck. But she didn’t make it too far because Asami’s hands were on her own cheeks almost instantly as she cupped her face and looked into her eyes. 

“Korra, are you sure you-”

“It’s not- I want this, Asami.” Korra’s voice was low, a little broken, but to Asami nothing could possibly be sexier. “It’s just… It’s you. You’re… I…” 

Asami smiled softly and a chuckle escaped her. “Hey, look at me. I’m nervous too, you know? Very nervous. It’s me, yeah. But it’s you too. And it’s us and… And I want to touch you, and feel you Korra. I want it more than anything and I intend to take my time and go slow, if that’s okay with you.” 

Korra nodded with a warm smile before kissing her again. “I love you.” She murmured and kissed Asami once again.

Asami smiled into the kiss and nibbled her way down to Korra’s neck, murmuring ‘I love you too’ into her skin. She grinned when Korra shuddered, and pressed on, latching on her pulse point and flicking her tongue against the tender spot, eliciting a low groan. She’d meant to take a bit of control in order to mask her own insecurities and nervousness but then Korra’s strong, sculpted arms wrapped around her and flipped their positions, pinning her down on the bed and hovering just above her with a little devious grin. 

“Did I tell you you’re also really fucking sexy?” Korra murmured and pressed long, wet kisses down to Asami’s shoulder, “Really,  _ reeeally _ sexy.” Her descend continued until her lips latched onto a nipple and her hand found its way to the other one. Asami groaned at the sensation and arched into Korra’s touch, feeling all the blood in her body rush between her legs as Korra settled between them. There was electricity on her skin, excitement and shuddering anticipation wherever Korra touched her.

“Am I now?” Asami purred when Korra’s tongue flicked over her nipple then pulled it between her teeth and tugged. “Oh…” 

“Mmhm?” Korra hummed around the wanting flesh between her teeth, smirking a little when Asami arched into her again, her hands finding Korra’s shoulders and hair, nails digging into flesh in an attempt to pull Korra closer, keep her doing what she was doing so well. She released it with an audible pop and her lips descended lower, letting her teasing hands take over. Her mouth traveled lower as she nibbled, sucked and kissed her way to Asami’s hips. Just as she reached it and her tongue flicked over the sensitive skin, Asami jerked under her touch and yelped.

“Ahahah, not there!” She squirmed and her hands flew to Korra’s hair, pulling her away.

“S-Sorry, did I do something wrong?” Korra glanced up with her eyes wide open.

“No no, just uh, it’s a ticklish spot.” Asami grinned at her, running her fingers through Korra’s hair and tugging on it gently. “Come here though.” She pulled Korra to her side and up into a searing kiss, tugging on her hair and making her tilt her head once more until her lips could reach Korra’s neck fully. She licked at a spot gently, then her teeth grazed over it before she bit in. Korra took in a sharp breath and moaned out as soon as Asami began tugging at the sensitive flesh.

“Fuck…” Korra groaned out and exposed more of her neck.

“What? Too much?” Asami murmured. 

“No no… Do it again… Harder…” 

Seconds later Korra moaned out when Asami bit her again, sucking and flicking her tongue over the skin. Her hips bucked into Korra’s own and she parted her legs even further, slowly sliding them around Korra’s. She felt a hand slip between their bodies when Korra’s lips searched for her own and as they kissed, Korra slipped a finger in the hem of her underwear, tugged at them and began sliding them down her thighs. Asami arched to help her take them off but eventually she had to switch her position so Korra could slide them all the way off. 

When Asami leaned back down on the bed, Korra followed but she slid down her body and her lips settled where they’d stopped last time, just above that ticklish spot she discovered. Korra maneuvered around it expertly, teasing Asami with gentle kisses mixed with a bite here and there before her lips settled on Asami’s thigh. She pushed Asami’s legs a little further apart, grinning when Asami’s hips bucked and she pushed her legs on top of Korra’s shoulders. 

Asami couldn’t help but groan in desperation when Korra began teasing her again, peppering soft kisses down her thigh to her knee and nibbling her way back up, only to repeat the same on her other leg. When she finally did move close to where Asami needed her the most, Korra decided to stop with her actions completely and look up. 

“I love you Asami.” She murmured, hovering above a small patch of dark hair before lowering herself down between Asami’s legs and blowing a puff of air into the wetness she could see there. 

Asami groaned again, sliding her hands to her sides and gripping the covers. “Korra… I love you too but you’re driving me crazy here… Please...” She glanced down just in time to see Korra flicking her tongue over her already parted, wet folds. “Oh f-fuck…” 

Korra moaned out when her tongue met the wetness she’d been aching to taste for a while. It was nothing short of perfect. Sweet and salty at the same time, but such a perfect harmony that Korra was sure she could taste it forever and ever and she’d still be hungry for more. 

Her tongue dipped lower for another taste, teasing the tight ring of muscle at Asami’s entrance, revelling in the way Asami’s hips bucked into her mouth, but then she moved up to capture her swollen bud between her lips and she couldn’t help but moan out again when one of Asami’s hands immediately found its way to her hair. 

“Fuck…” Asami only seemed to be able to form that one word, with her mind swirling with pleasure and her body on the verge of tipping over that edge that Korra was slowly moving her towards. They’d been dancing around each other for so long that the tension between them was almost palpable and now Korra was doing… things that made her unravel and it would only take a few expert touches to have her losing control completely.

When Korra finally released her clit and dipped back down to gather the fresh flood of wetness, she pushed past Asami’s entrance, gently teasing the tight muscles and moving back up when Asami moaned out. But this time she brought one of her hands up between their bodies as her lips sealed around Asami’s clit again and when Asami bucked into her mouth once again, she used to distraction to slowly, gently slip a finger inside her, unable to suppress her own moan at the tightness and warmth that welcomed her.

Asami screamed out and dug her heels into Korra’s back, bucking even more into her touch and tugging at her hair. Her nails scraped Korra’s scalp, probably a little rougher than she’d planned, but then she felt Korra using a second finger and fuck, it was worth it. It was so worth it. 

When Korra curled her fingers, hitting that swollen spot, Asami cried out. “Fuck, yes, Korra!” 

The hand that wasn’t on Korra’s scalp was clutching bed sheets in pleasure and desperation and need. Korra’s free hand slid up the bed spread and their fingers touched. The instant Asami felt Korra’s hand there, she instantly latched onto it and held on to for dear life.

“Come here,” Asami whispered, as she pulled Korra up to here for a needy, desperate, kiss full of love and need and desire and ten years of waiting for this singular moment.

They kissed deeply for what felt like their entire lives, trying to make up for lost time and all the time they’d have together going forward.

The kiss only broke as Korra hit that sweet spot once more with her fingers curled inside her, and Asami cried out, “Oh fuck yes. I love you.”

Korra just smiled and leaned in to Asami’s neck for kisses and nibbles as she started another descent down. But Asami stopped her and wrapped her arms tightly around Korra’s shoulders, holding on for dear life. 

“Stay… I want you close… I need to feel you close…” She mumbled between Korra’s thrusts, crying out when Korra pressed her palm against her clit, dragging it over the swollen nub over and over between thrusts. They became faster and firmer, and Korra curled her fingers each time better than the last, making Asami moan out each time as their bodies rocked together. 

“I love you…” Korra whispered in her ear, “Come for me Asami…” She pleaded, her voice low and breathy. 

Korra bit into Asami’s neck, gentler than before, and it was the thing that pushed Asami past the edge. She spasmed around Korra’s fingers, her walls clenching tightly for one long, drawn out moment as her whole body stilled and she felt as if all the air had been pulled out of her lungs. Korra’s thrusts stopped but she left her hand where it was, only pressing her palm and moving it in circles over Asami’s clit as she continued lavishing her neck with kisses. 

It took her a minute, but Asami finally managed to breathe again normally. Her grip around Korra’s shoulders loosened and she immediately moved her hand to grasp at Korra’s, stopping her movements. “Mmm enough… I can’t… I… Wow... “ She murmured in a quiet voice.

Korra pulled her hand slowly back and hummed softly as she moved to lay beside Asami, smiling at her. “That was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Asami smiled back at her. “You’re such a dork.”

“Yeah, but I’m your dork.”

“That you are,” Asami said. “Now, I think it’s my turn to be on top.”

“Oh, so you’re kind of like a power bottom?” Korra grinned at her.

“Shut up and take your shorts off.” Asami swatted at her arm, rolling over to straddle Korra who could feel the remnants of Asami’s wetness as she squirmed out of her boy-shorts. 

Korra just grinned up at Asami whose eyes were burning with green fire and lust.

Asami’s long fingers went to Korra’s breasts, caressing and teasing at them, as she sat there enjoying the view and smirking. She leaned down and kissed Korra, making sure to pull her lip between her teeth as she slowly started to descend.

Her lips kissed and bit down Korra’s neck, making up for over ten years of hickeys she felt she should have gotten to give the girl she loved. Asami’s nails scratched down across Korra’s deliciously cut abs, as she made sure to leave as many marks as she could.

Korra shivered in anticipation and excitement at Asami’s innate knowledge of just what to do. despite this being their first time like this, first time they’d even been this intimate with each other, Asami was already pushing her every button, making her squirm and lose her breath and everything so far was more than she’d ever felt. Somehow Asami knew just how much pressure to apply to keep everything on the pleasurable side and never, not once slipping over into pain.

Asami slowly moved between her legs, just as Korra herself had done before, but her teasing fingers didn’t stop at her abdomen. They moved lower, leaving thin, red marks down her thighs, all the way to her knees before moving back up and making Korra groan out in pleasure. 

“Stop teasing me…” Korra moaned, bucking her hips in hopes of getting some much needed friction.

Asami really wanted to tease her more. She wanted to make Korra squirm and beg for her touch, she wanted to make her moan out with nothing but a few light grazes of her fingers but the need to touch her more, to feel her with her tongue, to taste her was overwhelming. For a moment Asami wished she had enough restraint to back up her wishes, but she knew there’d be enough time to work out all her little fantasies and dream. They had all the time in the world, and they had a lot to make up for. And she’d make sure they got to play as often as possible. But now… Now her need to taste what she’d dreamed of for years took over and she leaned down, scattering a few kisses just below Korra’s navel, before dipping her head low and taking a long, languid brush of her tongue between Korra’s pouting folds, moaning out at the rich, musky taste. 

It was everything that she thought it would be, and so much more. 

She took another long stroke, revelling in the way Korra shuddered and moved her legs over Asami’s shoulders, before her tongue found its way to Korra’s swollen clit, flicking at it, lightly at first, then a little harder when Korra bucked into her touch. She sealed her lips around it, pulling it between them and suckling, letting her teeth graze over it and all but grinning when Korra moaned out loudly. 

“Inside…” Korra pleaded, “I need you inside of me…” 

Asami eagerly complied. She let go of Korra’s clit and dipped down to the tight ring of muscle at her entrance, pushing past them and lapping up all the wetness she could gather. Korra’s taste was even stronger now and the more she tasted, the more she wanted, needed… 

But Korra bucked harder into her mouth and moaned out and Asami knew exactly what she wanted. She slipped a hand up and replaced her tongue with it, immediately thrusting two fingers in and curling them slowly. The second Korra cried out, she knew she’d hit the right spot. She began a slow but steady rhythm, latching her lips around Korra’s clit once again, only ever dipping lower with it to gather a little more of Korra’s wetness.

As Korra’s moans grew louder, so did Asami’s thrusts become faster. Her tongue flicked across the aching bud between her lips and each time she curled her fingers, Korra would clench around them so,  _ so _ tightly. Korra wasn’t much of talker but the sounds that she made were more than enough of a proof that she was definitely doing something good. 

After a couple more fast, hard thrusts and the steady pressure of Asami’s tongue, Korra finally cried out her name and clenched tighter than ever around her fingers, as her whole body spasmed then stilled for a while with her back arched and her fingers gripping the sheets. 

When Korra’s back finally hit the bed, Asami began slowly pulling back her hand but she replaced it with her tongue, eager to taste a bit more of the sweet taste she couldn’t get enough of. She could hear Korra chuckle at that and when her need was sated, Asami finally started kissing her way back up Korra’s body. 

“I love you,” they both said at the same time.

The couple shared a quick laugh in between kisses and trying to catch their breath.

“That was amazing,” Korra said.

“Yeah,” Asami smiled. “It was. You’re beautiful and talented and…” whatever she was going to say was drowned out by a lengthy yawn.

Korra kissed Asami’s nose as she found the blankets from where they’d been kicked to the ground at some point during the night and pulled them over her and her girlfriend.

“Ok, Asami Sato’s personal heater, reporting for duty,” Korra said as she snuggled up to Asami real close, wrapping her arms around her middle and intertwining her legs with Asami’s.

“Holy shit. You remember that conversation?”

“Yeah? Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because we were kids! Were we even in high school?” Asami asked, lying through her teeth, as if she didn’t recall that exact conversation herself.

“It was freshman year, winter at the time, if I recall properly. And I might not have known it consciously at the time, but I really wanted to snuggle with you and kiss you and give you all sorts of hickeys,” Korra informed her.

“Well, what are you waiting for? You’ve got like ten years worth of kisses and hickeys and snuggles and… other stuff… to make up for.”

“Right away,” Korra said as her lips found a tender spot at the base of Asami’s neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well? How was that?


	33. I'm Sorry. No I'm Sorry.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra and Asami are dating (finally) and they have some people to tell. And some people to apologize to for being idiots to.

When Korra first stirred out of her blissful, dreamless sleep, the first thing she noticed was the warm body pressed up against her own and lustrous locks of hair tickling her nose. She peeked one eye open, just barely enough to come to the conclusion that it had to still be the dead of the night because the room was wonderfully dark and there was a sort of calming silence surrounding her. Maybe it had more to do with the soft figure snoring lightly besides her, but Korra couldn’t be bothered to try and figure that one out. 

She tilted her head for a moment, glanced over Asami’s shoulder to look at the window and smiled sleepily when her thoughts were confirmed. There was no sign of the sun rising yet and if she squinted hard enough, or pretended long enough, she could see stars even in the middle of the city. But right now, they were utterly insignificant compared to what she had right then and there, in her arms, in the bed. 

She closed her eyes with a lazy smile still plastered on her lips which she gently pressed to Asami’s bare shoulder before hugging herself closer to Asami and tightening her grip around her waist. She buried her nose in Asami’s hair, inhaling her familiar scent and sighing contently when sleep began taking over once again. 

The next time Korra woke up, the bed wasn’t nearly as warm, and the scent of Asami next to her was replaced with dog smell.

Instead of early morning kisses with her girlfriend, Korra was getting early morning Naga kisses.

“Morning girl,” Korra said as she pet Naga on the head. “Where’s Asami?”

Barely a moment later, Asami entered the room, “Good, you’re awake.”

Korra turned over, spying her girlfriend looking absolutely amazing. Her hair was slightly rumpled from sleep and the activities they did last night, she was wearing nothing but a large shirt, that didn’t quite go to her hips, and some bright blue boy shorts. “Good morning beautiful.”

“I have a surprise for you,” Asami said.

“Oh really?”

Asami disappeared from the doorway and returned a second later. She was carrying a tray, filled with bacon, and eggs, and pancakes.

“Did you make me breakfast in bed?” Korra asked with a grin.

“Absolutely.”

“I love you.”

Asami slid into the bed next to Korra and gave her a gentle little kiss, “I love you too.”

With the small breakfast sitting on the bed, Korra sat up, which revealed to Asami that she was still not clothed.

“Uh, Korra.” Asami mumbled almost nervously, “You’re gonna need to.. uh… Put those away.” She gestured to Korra’s chest before looking away.

“Are you sure? ‘Cause if I recall well, you enjoyed them very much last night.” 

Asami’s only response was a glare but the smirk playing across her lips gave away her amusement. 

The only thing that could have distracted her, was of course Naga, who had jumped up on the bed, and tried to steal a pancake off Korra’s plate.

“Can we give Naga a pancake or will it kill her? Because I’m starting to get attached,” Asami asked.

“Uh,” Korra said as she leaned across Asami, which was a totally intentional move, and grabbed her phone. “Let’s see what google says.” After a long pause she said, “It looks like it’s ok so long as there is no chocolate in it. And we can’t give them to her too often.”

“Ok girl, you get a pancake.” Asami took one from the plate and gave a piece to Naga, her eyebrow arching in confusion when Korra chuckled beside her. “What?” She almost glared at her again, still with the same smirk on her lips.

“Yhou’re jusht adhorabhle.” Korra mumbled with her mouth full. “I wuv yhou.”

Asami laughed at her muffled words and leaned over to peck Korra’s cheek. “Eat, you dork.” She pressed another kiss to the corner of Korra’s mouth. “And I love you too.” 

Korra munched contentedly, resting her head on Asami’s shoulder, wondering how she ever got so lucky. “Hey, Asami?” She spoke after a while of enjoying the silence and the food.

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry it took me so long to get here. This is the best I’ve felt in a long time, and I wish I could have gotten to tell you how I feel about you so much sooner.” Korra moved away, only a little, trying to meet Asami’s eyes. “I’ve wasted so much time we could have had, together.” 

Asami just kissed Korra in response. “It’s ok. What’s done is done. We just have to make the most of the time we’ve got now. Together. Because I don’t know about you, but I’m in this for the long haul. I love you, and I’m ok with this now. We’ve just got some catching up to do.”

Korra smiled, wide and with her eyebrows rising suggestively. “Does that mean… I should ravish you in the morning, every morning? You know, to make up for lost time?”

Of course, just then Naga decided to nuzzle against Korra’s hand and managed to steal another pancake from her plate. 

“Naga!” Korra squealed, reaching out to grab it but almost toppling over all the food on the bed. “Rude!” She yelled after the pup that was already halfway out the room.

Asami was laughing until she realized all the bacon on her own plate was gone. “Oh my god that little sneak.” She grumbled with a pout when Korra turned to her and laughed. “You totally distracted me with your wiggly eyebrows and now you have to give me your bacon.” 

Korra pulled her plate away, trying to shield it from Asami’s wandering hands. “Hey I’ve got to get my energy back up before I go run a couple of miles, and besides, whose fault is it I’m all drained since last night?” She raised her eyebrows a couple more times, grinning when Asami’s cheeks turned a light crimson.

“Just one slice?” Asami pleaded, trying out her best adorable puppy eyes. 

For a moment Korra tried to match her look with an equally adorable pout but then Asami decided to flip her hair over her shoulder and by the time Korra was done tracing the line of her neck with wide eyes, she’d already lost a slice of bacon from her plate. “Cheater.” Korra mumbled with a grin.

“A girl’s gotta eat.” Asami flashed a grin of her own and leaned over to press a light kiss to Korra’s cheek. “So you’re gonna go train a bit?” 

“Yeah, it’s still early and I’ve been lazing around for far too long. Gotta get these,” She poked her own abs, “Back in proper shape.” 

Asami almost choked on a piece of pancake. But when she recovered she placed her hand on Korra’s still impressive stomach. “Well I think you’re hot as shit. But if you’re gonna go out for a run, might I suggest you take your excitable dog with you. She needs to get out of the house.”

“You’re right. I’ll go for a run with Naga,  _ our _ excitable dog, and bring her back before I head off to the gym. That good with you?”

Asami nodded. “I’ve got some stuff to do around here and I probably owe Mako a phone call or at least an explanation about where we’ve been for the last couple of weeks. I should probably apologize for ignoring him for so long.”

“Yeah… me too,” Korra muttered. “And Bolin. What the hell has that child been up to?”

“I don’t even know.” Asami sighed. 

“Ugh, I feel like I’ve got so many people to really apologize to. You, Mako, Bo.” Korra paused for a moment, put her plate away on the nightstand and turned back to Asami. “Rox..”

“Rox? What do you have to apologize to her for?” Asami mumbled as she put her own plate away.

“Um… bruising her hands with my face?” Korra offered.

“You what?”

“Right before, or after maybe, it was a confusing couple of days, I broke up with…  _ Kuvira…  _ Rox drove all the way up to my school and punched me in the face for being such an asshole to you. And for being just an asshole in general.” Korra finished with a sigh and rubbed the back of her neck.

“She did what?!” Asami gaped at her, eyes wide and mouth open in shock. 

“I totally deserved it. Shook me a bit. I needed it, I guess. Maybe.” Korra shrugged. “I just feel like I should apologize to her. I felt like Rox has consistently gotten screwed over because of me.”

“Because of us,” Asami corrected quietly.

Korra remained silent but moved a hand over, placing it atop of Asami’s and lacing their fingers together. “Do you still have her cell phone number?” 

“I did but I guess she changed it at some point because the last time I tried calling, it didn’t even connect.” Asami sighed and squeezed Korra’s hand tighter.

“Okay. We’ll figure something out.” Korra murmured and pressed her lips to Asami’s. “Promise.” 

“Okay.” Asami smiled into another kiss, pouting when Korra pulled away and slipped off the bed. “Why do you have to go.” 

“‘Cause abs.” Korra mumbled as she looked around for her clothes. “Where are my clothes?” She grumbled, more to herself than to Asami. “And why are we even in your room?” 

“Because  _ someone _ wouldn’t let us go into your room.” Asami crossed her arms and stared at her with a raised eyebrow. 

Korra’s mind immediately flashed to the events of last night and her cheeks flushed a little. “Oh, right. Yeah. Okay. Shower, run, gym.” She mumbled and leaned over when Asami sat on the edge of the bed, kissing her once more. “We’ll be back soonish.” 

Korra and the little white ball of fluff that was Naga, left the apartment and Asami barely had enough time to shower and make a phone call to Mako before they were back.

“Hey,” Korra said, glistening with sweat. “We’re back. Naga isn’t quite ready for a full run.”

The puppy left out a massive yawn and padded over to the one couch cushion still bathed in morning sun and was asleep in a moment.

“She’s so cute,” Asami muttered. “Just like you.”

“And you call me a dork,” Korra replied. “Did you talk to Mako?”

“Yeah, for like ten seconds. He said something about being super busy and made a noncommittal promise to get drinks soon.” Asami sighed. “He’s been a bit weird lately but I guess that’s typical Mako for you.”

“Well anyway,” Korra mumbled as she ran into her room and came out with her gym bag. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours.” She hesitated for a moment before pecking Asami’s cheek.

Asami raised an eyebrow, staring at her in confusion.

“Didn’t wanna be all sweaty around you.” 

“You didn’t hear me complaining last night, did you?” Asami mumbled and grabbed her by the collar of her slightly damp t-shirt, pulling her in for a longer, lingering kiss. “Don’t even hesitate to kiss me.” 

“Yes ma’am.” Korra brought her free hand up to salute and Asami groaned, pulling away. 

“Shoo!” She grumbled when Korra hurried towards the door with a grin. 

“I love you!” 

“I love you too!” Asami called after her, eyeing the door with a wide, lopsided smile.  _ I really love you a whole fucking lot. _

* * *

 

Korra’s workout routine ended slightly earlier than she intended it to, but her mother was calling and it really had been too long since she called home.

“Hey mom,” she said, answering the phone. “Sorry I haven’t called in a while. I’ve been pretty busy.”

“With school? Are you still super behind?”

“No, no, I’m all caught up with everything now,” Korra said. 

“That’s good.”

“I’ve been busy… uh… because… I’m dating Asami?”

“Hold on one second honey,” Senna said as she held the phone away from her and yelled, “Tonraq! Pick up the phone! Korra has something to say!”

A few seconds later her dad greeted her on the phone. “Hey Korra. How are you?”

“Uh.. pretty good,” Korra answered. “Pretty good.”

“Oh stop stalling,” Senna said. “Tell your father what you told me.”

“Me and Asami are…”

“Finally!” Tonraq interrupted.

“Dad!”

“What?”

“You didn’t even let me finish!” Korra said, the exasperation in her voice. “Asami and I are dating.”

“Finally!” Tonraq said again.

“Ok honey, pay up,” Senna said.

Tonraq instantly responded, “Wait, hold on. Did you start dating today?”

“Uh… no,” Korra muttered, now thoroughly confused.

“When did you start dating?”

“Pretty much after we moved in together. What’s going on?”

Tonraq sighed, “You couldn’t have dated her and then moved in could you?”

“What?”

“Now I owe your mother money because she was right.”

“As usual,” Senna pipped in.

“Have you been betting on my love life?” Korra demanded.

“Yeah,” Tonraq said. “Why does that make us bad parents?”

“Yes!”

“Oh, well. Sorry?” Tonraq responded.

“Honey, when you get married, I’m just saying, aim for spring in about oh say, five years. Spring is a good season to get married in. And I’ll cut you in on the pooll,” Senna teased.

“There’s a pool?!” Korra yelled. “How many people are betting on me and Asami getting together?”

“Thirty seven,” Tonraq responded without missing a beat.

“I’m hanging up,” Korra said.

“Bye honey! Love you! Say hi to Asami!” Senna managed to yelled out before Korra hung up the phone.

“Oh my god,” Korra said to her phone.

“Good to see you finally pulled your head out of your ass,” said a voice from behind Korra.

She spun around to see who was behind her and there was Roxana, in all her glory, walking a few feet behind her.

“Sorry, couldn’t help but overhear,” Rox said with a shrug. The girl Korra hadn’t seen since the beating she received on that awful day looked tired as hell. There were dark circles under her eyes, and a large bag strung across her shoulder.

“Are you psychic or something?” Korra asked. “We were literally just talking about you earlier!”

“You and?”

“Asami.” Korra said a little hesitantly.

“Ah,” Rox said. “Well the best of luck to you both. I’ve had a long day, so see you around sometime Korra.”

“Wait, Rox. I’m sorry,” Korra said. “For a lot of things. And I know Asami’s sorry too, she’d really like to tell you herself.” She paused. Rox hadn’t said anything in response. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. Or maybe Korra needed to stop questioning herself so much. “Look, um… Do you wanna meet up back here later today, join me or a run or two?” 

Rox raised an eyebrow but still remained silent so Korra continued.

“Maybe come over for drinks after that? I wanna talk to you and apologize properly, and Asami would be really happy to see you.” 

Rox winced at her words. She remembered all the times she tried so hard to make Asami happy and in the end, all Korra had to do was be there, and Asami was probably happier than ever. Still, something in the back of her head nagged her to accept Korra’s offer. Or at least, part of it. But after last night, she was feeling quite spent and had more than a couple sore muscles so gym was out of the question.

“How about I just come over for drinks? I wasn’t planning on a gym visit today and I have some plans anyway.” Rox said as she pulled her phone out. “Gimme your number and I’ll give you a call.” 

Korra quickly mumbled her phone number and smiled widely at her. “Thanks. I really appreciate it. It’ll be fun, I promise, just like old times. I’ll see you later then.” 

_ Yeah, _ Rox thought to herself,  _ old times when I was hiding around Asami or old times when she was pining over you?  _ “Yeah, see you.” She said not totally convincingly. “Hey, real quick. Would I be able to bring someone with potentially?”

That absolutely threw Korra for a loop. “Uh.. yeah. Sure. The more the merrier.”

The girls nodded their goodbyes, turning off in different directions, each of them dialing a number on their phone.

“Hey,” Rox said in her phone. “I know I just saw you like twenty minutes ago, but I was hoping I could see you again tonight? Maybe you could accompany me… well um, somewhere? Really? Great, I’ll pick you up around eight then. Love you.”

* * *

 

“Yeah, so…” Korra said as she stood in front of Mako and Bolin for the first time in a long time. “I’m super sorry I was such an unbelievable ass in college. And you should know that Asami and I are dating.”

“Oh you!” Bolin said as he pulled her into another bone crushing hug in as many minutes. “We forgive you! Also congratulations!”

Mako just smiled at them. “It’s about time. Now pay up Bo.”

“I don’t have the money on me,” Bolin smiled sheepishly. “How about we go double or nothing on the wedding date?”

“You assholes!” Korra yelled. “You too?”

Asami, despite grinning like an idiot from the couch, threw a pillow at Mako’s head.

“You know what this announcement needs?” Bolin said with a mischievous little smile, while rubbing his hands together.

“I feel like this will only end poorly for us,” Mako sighed.

“Celebration shot!” Bolin shouted.

“Oh no,” Korra sighed. “You do realize that we,” She spoke while gesturing to all of them, “Do  _ not _ have a very good drinking record.”

“I’ll show you the liquor cabinet,” Asami said as she showed Bolin through the apartment.

“This place is amazing!” Bolin said again as he walked through the apartment. 

Mako stood next to Korra, leaning against her and bumping their shoulders. “So. Finally.” 

Korra blushed and rubbed the back of her neck with a chuckle. “Yeah.” 

“I’m really happy for you two, you know?” 

“I know.” She mumbled and glanced away when Asami reappeared in the room with a frown. “What happ-” She was about to ask what had happened to put a frown on Asami’s face but Asami cut her off.

“Naga. My room. My bed.” Asami all but growled. 

“Oh. Shit.” Korra grumbled. “I’m gonna go put her in my room.” 

“No, she’s so cute!” Bolin shouted from the hall, carrying a giant fluffy ball that was Naga in his arms. “Check out this soft fur oh my, Mako, we need one of these.” 

“No.” Mako glared at him. “Don’t even think about it. I will kick you out this instant.” 

“You can’t kick your own brother out.” Bolin put on his puppy eyes, Naga at the same time looking at Mako with a similar expression.

“Sure I can.” 

“Come on, girl,” Korra murmured as she took Naga from Bolin’s arms, “You’re going back to  _ your  _ room and no messing about our room.” 

Bolin snickered like a little kid. “Did you hear that bro?  _ Our  _ room.”

Mako couldn’t help but grin back at him. He was about to say something when the doorbell rang. “You expecting someone else?” He asked instead, turning to Asami. 

“Actually, yes.” Asami said as she hurried to the door. “Rox is here!” She shouted.

Korra was immediately back in the room.

“Rox? The Rox?” Mako asked. “What? How?”

Bolin only shrugged at his words and Asami waited at the door to open them. Korra was the first to speak.

“I stumbled on to her today and kind of invited her over for drinks. I figured we needed to talk but I wasn’t exactly expecting this whole get-together. But I’m glad we’re all here so I can finally say sorry to everyone.” She added sheepishly when they all heard a knock on the door.

“Yes! Liquor, we can use some drinks!” Bolin said for lack of something else to say.

Asami was already opening the door.

There was Rox, and next to her was a taller, pretty woman on her arm. She was gorgeous really. Wavy auburn hair, blue green eyes, just the barest hints of make up accenting everything perfectly.

“Hey, Asami, long time,” Rox responded, sounding a little forced, a little rehearsed. “Um, this is Iris. My girlfriend.”

“Um, hi,” Asami said, extending her hand. “Asami Sato.”

“Oh I know,” Iris said, the barest hints of an English accent on her voice. “We’ve met before.”

“We have?” Asami asked, a little wide-eyed, but before anyone could respond, Bolin interjected himself into the conversation.

“Hey, I’m Bolin,” he said. “Have some liquor. Rum and coke?”

Mako brought his hand to his face, sighing and barely suppressing a groan.

“Sure,” Iris said as she took one of the offered glasses and walked inside when Asami ushered them in. 

Korra finally stepped into the picture, offering a hand to Iris. “Hi Iris. I’m Korra.”

Iris took her hand with a small smile. “It’s a pleasure Korra.”

Rox shifted in her spot, nervously rubbing her fingers over the fabric of her jeans but her nerves seemed to calm down almost instantly when she felt Iris’ fingers brushing against her own. 

“Well come inside,” yelled Bolin. “I can only carry so much liquor at once! You’d think I was the one that lived here.”

“Oh right,” Asami said as she stepped aside. “Come in.”

Iris and Rox both stepped through the threshold to the apartment properly. “Nice place you’ve got here.” Rox commented.

“Doctor Ray! No Doctor Renor?” Asami said suddenly.

“Doctor Reynder,” Iris corrected politely. “I’m surprised you even remembered that much.”

“I try to remember all the people involved in saving my dad’s life,” Asami said.

Iris smiled at her while Asami took their coats to the hanger. “How is he doing by the way?”

“Really good.” Asami said when Korra walked over with a couple more drinks in her hands. “He’s exercising, eating healthy, or at least that’s what he lets me know.” Asami’s smiled turned a little sheepish until Korra’s arm found a way around her waist. “He’s here, thanks to you and many others.” Asami finally said, after a few moments of silence. “Thank you.” 

“No need to thank me, Asami, I’m just glad I was in the right place at the right time.” 

Rox moved closer to her and took Iris’ hand into her own, feeling the tension in her stomach loosen a little at the contact. 

Mako had to smack Bolin over his head when he caught him chuckling on the side. 

“What are you grinning about?” He half-whispered to his brother. 

“Look at them,” Bolin’s smirk returned, “Korra and Rox I mean.” 

Mako followed his gaze. “What about them?” 

“I bet if either of us stepped in the space between them, they’d probably pounce on us.” Another chuckle escaped him and Mako smacked him again. “Hey, stop that!” 

“Stop laughing at them. It’s awkward enough.” 

“That’s why we’re here!” Bolin added excitedly and moved about, quickly rushing over to them. “Ladies, can I have your glasses? Drink up if you haven’t, time for a toast!” 

“A toast?” Asami asked, confused, while the four girls turned to the guys.

Mako only shrugged and went to help his brother with the drinks. 

“Actually, Iris, could I ask you a couple more questions?” Asami mumbled when their eyes met again, “I know you probably hate talking about work win your time off so I’ll understand if you don’t want to.”

“No, of course. Anything.” Iris answered with a smile. “Mind if we sit down? My back is killing me, I didn’t really sleep well last night.” 

“Yeah, of course.” Asami said as they moved over to the couch, leaving Korra and Rox on the other side of the room, looking confusedly at one another.

After about a minute of silence, Korra spoke up. 

“Is this the right time to start my apology speech or should I wait till we’re a bit drunker?” 

“This’ll do.” Rox said with a faint smirk. 

“Well, yeah, I’m sorry. I mean, you already know that but what you probably don’t know is that what you did, meant a whole lot to me. If it wasn’t for you and for your words, I probably never would have given my life as much thought as I did back then.” Korra spoke slowly, carefully. “I was a mess and I finally managed to get out of it all and then you came by and I guess that was my turning point. So yeah. I’m sorry for being a complete dick to you, you didn’t deserve any of it. And I’m sorry I treated you poorly. It wasn’t my intention and I still look up to you and well… I hope we can still be friends ‘cause I really miss our friendship. You were a giant fucktard at times, but I miss you.” Korra finished, rubbing the back of her neck and taking a long sip of her drink.

Rox stared at her for a few moments before speaking.

“Don’t worry about it. And we can be friends again, actual friends, if you promise me one thing.” 

Korra raised an eyebrow. “What?” 

“Next time I punch you, you better punch me back.” Rox’s own brows furrowed a little but her attempt at looking menacing only earner her a chuckle from Korra.

“Cause honestly, there’s no one I’ve found that could really challenge me like you did,” Rox said, extending her hand out. “We good?”

“Yeah,” Korra said. “We should go to gym some time, so I can really show you up.”

“You know, if you’re still half the soccer player you used to be…” Rox mused. “I might.  _ Might _ . Be able to get you a tryout for the coach of the pro team I play for.”

“Wait. You went pro?” Korra asked in disbelief. “What? When?”

“I was picked up as a free agent at the beginning of last season. Coach says I have a real good chance of starting this year.”

Korra just stared at Rox, mouth hanging open, unable to make sounds.

Rox smiled as she gently patted Korra on the cheek. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure I could still beat you.”

“Rox, what did you do to her?” Iris asked as her girlfriend descended into the seat next to her.

“Broke her. Or just offered her the vaguest possibility of getting a tryout with my coach,” Rox explained.

“Aww that was sweet,” Iris told her. “But since this is one of my precious days off, I’m going to get this strange Bolin character to get me more alcohol and let you two talk.”

“Thanks,” Asami mumbled.

“Just remember what I do for a living,” Iris said with a strange, serious fire in her eyes.

“Huh?” Asami asked as Iris left the living room, going up to Bolin, where he was jokingly try to bring Korra back to life.

“Never mind her,” Rox said with a smile as her eyes still trailed after Iris. “She’s a little… protective.”

“But you’re one of the strongest people I know.”

“Yeah, but I also told her about what happened between us and what you meant to me. And what that left me with,” Rox responded. There was an edge to her voice, the barest hint of sadness and remorse, but what really surprised Asami was how Rox sounded just matter-of-fact about it.

“Oh. I’m really sorry Roxana,” Asami started. “I… don’t even know what to say. Where to start. I’m sorry I was pretty much the worst girlfriend ever.” She brought her hand to her face, running her fingers through her hair. “You were nothing but wonderful to me, and our relationship could have been… I… I shouldn’t have been such a horrible person. Not to you, not to us. I’m so sorry.”  

Rox took a deep breath, and then another swig of her drink. “I… Look I think I get it. So… apology accepted. I can’t really say that it wasn’t a shitty situation for me. It sucked, it sucked afterwards too. But really all that happened and it’s over with and it led me here. Asami, I really like where I’m at.” Rox glanced over her shoulder, her lips curling in a smile when her eyes settled on Iris. “I… I’m in love with her.” She said the words as if they surprised her, but then she turned to look at Asami again. “I am crazy about her. And I’ve gone pro, my life’s finally getting where I want it and I’m really,  _ really  _ happy.” 

Asami hesitated briefly, but put a and on top of Rox’s, squeezing gently. “I’m really happy to know that. And I think this calls for another round of drinks.” 

Rox managed only to nod before Korra appeared next to the couch with a wide grin plastered across her face and Iris followed with a matching one.

“Guess what we just found out.” Korra squirmed in her spot, excitedly staring at Asami and Rox.

“What?” Asami mumbled, raising an eyebrow at her.

“Mako’s got a girlfriend.” 

“No way!” Rox shouted and immediately whipped her head towards him. She was met by Bolin’s gigantic smirk and Mako’s frowning face.

“Korra!” Mako’s groan could be heard from the other side of the planet, probably.

“Who is it?” yelled Asami from across the room. “You bastard!”

Mako slid onto the couch looking incredibly guilty. At some point Bolin had busted Naga out of her “prison” and was petting the dog, both of them looking at Mako.

“How could you?” Bolin said in a low voice. “I’m ashamed to be your brother.”

“After all the relationship nonsense that I’ve talked to you about,” Asami said, “you betray me, like this?”

“You’re making it sound like I killed someone!” Mako replied defensively, a blush creeping across his face.

“I don’t know you,” Iris said, “maybe you did.”

“I can’t believe you, you bet on my love life, you come into my home, and you disrespect me like this?” Korra said, slipping into a slightly tipsy accent that sounded like she was trying to impersonate a New Jersey mob member.

“Yeah,” Asami said, “You come into- wait! This is  _ my _ house!” She turned to Korra but the glare she intended to send her way instantly turned into a gentle smile. “ _ Our  _ house.” 

Korra’s cheeks flushed furiously but she slid down on the couch and wrapped her arms around Asami, burying her face in the crook of her soft neck. She tilted her head, murmuring so only Asami could hear. “Ours. That really sounds amazing, you know?” 

“Really. Seriously,” Bolin spoke up, “Go to your respective rooms and cool off for a couple of minutes. We’ve got a mystery to solve and I can’t do that if you two are gonna be all handsy and stuff!”

“Right,” Korra said. “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, how many girls does Mako even know?” Rox asked.

“Plenty!” Mako responded.

“Not many,” Bolin said, carefully scratching his chin. “I mean most of them are in this room and dating each other so…”

“Oh, low blow,” Mako winced.

“Ok, so he doesn’t hang out with many women,” Iris said. “Are we sure he’s into women?”

“I’m pretty sure Beth’s a girl, unless she hasn’t told me something,” Mako muttered, almost to himself, but it was loud enough to be heard by all. “Not that I would mind. I mean…I…” He looked up, realizing that everyone’s eyes were set on him. “I’m shutting up now.”

“What do you do for fun?” Iris asked.

“Nothing,” Bolin said. “Mako doesn’t believe in fun. All he does is school and work at one of the nineteen jobs he has. He spends most of the time not working in the library…”

“One of his classmates?” Iris asked again. “Or, oooh, scandalous, one of his teachers?”

“Oh god no!” Mako yelled.

“Yeah, Mako never really struck me as the homewrecker type in high school,” Rox said.

“Random person in the coffee shop? A bartender?” Korra mused.

Bolin hadn’t said anything in a while, just staring at his brother. Then he stood up, still holding on to Naga with one hand, and pointed, “You’re dating that girl from the library!”

“What? No,” Mako said unconvincingly.

“Yeah! The one grad student at the research desk! The one with the mohawk and the lip piercings! She’s got a full sleeve tattoo on her left arm!” Bolin continued excitedly.

“I am not!”

“Damn, Mako, I never knew you were into badass chicks,” Asami said.

“How could you not know that?” Korra responded defensively. “I mean he dated me!”

Iris perked up at that. “Wait. So.” 

Rox groaned. “Oh no, here she goes.” 

Iris simply slapped her hand and continued. “So he’s dated you, Korra,” She pointed, “And then he dated you Asami?” 

“What? No no no.” Asami hurried to answer, “No. No no no. Nuh uh. Nope. Never. No.” 

“We got it on the first no, thank you,” Mako chipped in, downing his third shot of vodka in the past five minutes.

“I see,” Iris responded. “So Korra dated Mako. Asami dated Rox. Rox is with me now. And Korra’s with Asami. This is like an episode of Friends or something.”

“I think that’d make Bolin Phoebe since none of us as dated him,” Korra mused with a grin.

Mako let out a sigh of relief that they were moving on, but that’s when Asami turned to him and said, “So what’s she like?”

“I mean… I… we…. We went on like three dates! I don’t know!” He was getting real defensive at this point.

“Ok Mako, I know you don’t have a whole lot of experience, since the only other woman you dated was this idiot in high school,” Rox said with a grin and a finger pointed at Korra, “but when you sleep with her, what you’ve got to do is…”

“Oh I don’t need to hear this!” Mako yelled and slapped his hands over his ears.

“Yeah, stop,” Iris said as she slapped Rox’s shoulder. “He should hear this from a medical professional. I’m a doctor. Now, Mako, what you’ve got to do is-”

“Lalalala! Not listening!” Mako was yelling now.

Korra and Asami cuddled closer in each other’s arms and Rox moved to sit beside Iris, wrapping her arms around her waist when Iris started doing demonstrations with her hands as Mako continued to blush and tried not to listen. 

Bolin simply sat by in the chair and held Naga in his arms, grinning from ear to ear, listening to Iris intently.

Korra and Asami finally got to bed a couple of hours later, well past the point of tipsy, with wide smiles and warmth in their hearts. 

The weekend turned out to be one of the best ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not saying I'll ever have kids, but if I do I'm going to the Tonraq and Senna Troll Parents Academy
> 
> Next time on A Long Time Ago We Used to Be Friends: Rox's Happy Ending


	34. Rox's Happy Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What the actual fuck happened to Rox?  
> Life: “Well Rox, sorry...”  
> rox: ʕノ•ᴥ•ʔノ ︵ ┻━┻

Rox had been wallowing. 

Sure, she could admit it. She was a big enough person to come to terms with her own feelings along with the fact that she was feeling like shit and finding some kind of perverse enjoyment in it. It was a little exhausting truth be told, but it had only been a couple of months since she made Asami break up with her.

Yeah, just a couple of months.

It’s not like she’s been wallowing for over six months.

Ok, so it was seven months and she wasn’t really enjoying being stuck in her own head anymore.

Somehow, Rox doesn’t really remember how, but she found herself on a motorcycle, just mindlessly driving around the city. The motorcycle had been one of those stupid, impulse, “this will make me feel better!” buys; luckily Rox enjoyed the machine.

There was a certain freedom to the open air driving, that made Rox feel ever so slightly introspective.

Rox found herself at an intersection and the light turned red, so she stopped, finally letting her muscles relax. But once again, her attention was diverted to something else. She glanced up, marvelling at the colours of the sky in between the few clouds present a kind of purple, maybe even crimson tint. The sky distracted her from her swirling storm of thoughts and the task of getting to where she was going. Unfortunately, honking and swearing behind her made her almost fall from her bike.

“What the-” she only managed to muttered when someone pulled up next to her, close enough so that the horn made her almost jump out of her skin.

“You fucking idiot! Get off the road!” some random bulky guy yelled from his pickup truck, his voice cutting through her helmet.

“Sorry!” she half yelled, half mumbled and gripped the throttle once more, speeding away with a screeching sound. The guy definitely swore, once or twice, leaning on his horn, but Rox couldn’t be bothered.

She just wanted to get away.

Rox tried to focus on the road, but somehow her brain really didn’t want to cooperate with her. She kept going back to her stupid seven months dead relationship.

God damn Asami Sato.

She couldn’t bring herself to feel anything besides fucking miserable. Even though she knew it was the right move, it still hurt like hell. But the entire thing had just been carved into her mind and even after all the shit she’d gone through with Asami, she still loved her. Rox loved her, so much, that at times she feared those feelings would never really go away.

Her heart gave a painful throb at the thought.

“Get a grip you idiot, there’s others. Stop being such a fucking cry baby. So it didn’t work out. You knew it wouldn’t from the start,” Rox continued her muttering, once again ignoring her surroundings and only slowing down whenever she’d reached an intersection. On the next one she came to another stop but this time she stared at the lights and the second they turned green she sped away. She’d intended to go straight ahead but, blame it on her wandering thoughts or something resembling fate, Rox took a turn to one of the streets.

Rox got lost in her own head again. She couldn’t help but see Asami in everything, and she fucked up that relationship so badly. Then there was that guy behind her, the one in the truck, his voice was echoing inside her head.

Maybe it would be better if she just left, just… faded away.

The everything went sideways. Literally sideways. 

Her bike was gone from under her, there was nothing below her but asphalt. There was not enough time for her to even think before she slammed into the ground.

Her gloves were shredded, her leather jacket ripped to pieces, her head bounced on the ground, she heard something break.

Eventually, she stopped sliding and rolling.

Everything hurt, everything.

By the time she managed to blink a couple of times, someone had already rushed over.

“Fuck, that was- You ok?” asked a voice, a woman. A woman with a really nice voice.

“I…” Rox started, but there were tears forming in her eyes, hard on the heels of panic and terror. “I don’t want to die.”

“Sh, sh,” the woman said, “you’re going to be fine. I’m a doctor.”

“I didn’t hit anyone did I?” Rox forced out, she tried to reach up to take off her helmet. But there were hands, gentle, not at all painful, on her arms.

“Stay still. Trust me. Doctor. And no, you didn’t hit anyone.”

“I’m so sorry,” Rox said, and kept repeating the words for a little while.

“You have nothing to be sorry about,” the woman said as she examined Rox’s injuries. She pulled out her phone and dialed a number quickly. “This is Doctor Reynder, I just witnessed a hit and run. I think part of the license plate was BT-021 and there was something else. I’m taking the victim to the hospital across the street.”

* * *

 

A day later, Rox finally got released from the hospital. Really it was just a bunch of scrapes and bruises, but the real kicker was she had, according to that doctor who helped her out, dislocated and the relocated her left knee.

It hurt like hell, but with the proper rehab she’d be able to have full functionality. Hopefully she’d still be able to play.

If she was in a bad mood before hand, then she was at absolutely rock bottom now.

And it only got better when Rox realized her bike was trashed so it was looking like she couldn’t get home without calling an expensive ass cab.

Not looking forward to wasting the cash, Rox just lowered herself gently to the curb outside the hospital to sit and wallow.

The only real option that popped into her head was to call Asami for a ride. How fucked up was that? The only friend she had in this stupid city that she could consider calling was her ex.

“Hey,” said a vaguely familiar voice from behind her.

Rox turned to see who was talking to her, which was a chore in and of itself since her entire body was stiff and sore. It was the doctor that had rescued her. “Hi.”

“Waiting for someone?”

Rox scoffed, “I wish.”

The doctor sat down beside her. In another time, or place, Rox would have found this woman beautiful. But she was too busy wallowing to really notice her blue-green eyes that were filled with so much warmth and care or the wavy auburn hair that looked so gorgeous.

“I’m Iris by the way,” the doctor said.

“Rox,” she muttered in response.

“Do you need me to flag down a cab for you or something?”

Rox tried to shake her head, but that only aggravated her headache. “No. With these stupid medical bills, the fact that my bike is dead, I don’t think I could really afford a cab all the way home.”

“I’m sorry, love,” Iris said, the hints of a British accent slowly starting to slip into Rox’s awareness. “Where do you live?”

“North side.”

“I’m just getting off work, and I live out that way. I could give you a ride,” Iris offered.

“I couldn’t impose on you any more than I already have. You saved me, and I don’t want to inconvenience you any more. I’ll… figure something out. Eventually.”

“Nope, come on. I’ll take you. You’re too cute to be alone out here,” Iris said, offering her hand to Rox. “You need to get to your place and rest. As a doctor it is my medical recommendation that you don’t sit on the sidewalk feeling sorry for yourself.”

“Fine,” Rox gave in begrudgingly. It’s not like she had any other decent options.

Thirty minutes later, by Iris’s careful driving, following the speed limit at all time (a rarity in this city) they arrived outside Rox’s apartment building.

“Do you want to come up?” Rox offered as she slipped out of the car and peeked her head back in through the open door. “I can get you a drink or some food or something. I owe you as much.”

“I wish I could take you up on that,” Iris responded with a gentle smile. “But I don’t think you owe me. And, maybe this is me being a bit too forward but, I’d rather you offered me a drink because you wanted to, not because you think you have something to pay me back.”

“Uh…” Rox responded. Her head hurt and wasn’t going as fast as she wanted it to.

“Here’s my number, maybe, when you feel better, give me a call?” Iris told her before waving goodbye and driving off.

* * *

 

It had been two weeks. And Rox still wasn’t entirely sure what had happened.

Someone actively hit on her.

She’d spent so long thinking she was trash that it was so strange.

Not for the first time, Rox found herself staring at the number in her phone “Iris, PhD” wondering if she should call her. Or text her? Would either one be appropriate? Was she ready to try something romantic? Is this even a good idea?

Iris was very good looking. And Rox had a feeling like listening to that accent would get her into trouble.

Eventually, she worked up the courage, and sent Iris a text.

“ _ Hey, it’s Rox. The girl on the motorcycle you saved. _ ”

It felt like it took forever to get a response. But it was only twenty seven (and a half) minutes.

“ _ Oh hello! I was beginning to wonder if you forgot about me _ ,” Iris responded.

_ “I don’t think I could. _ ”

“ _ Would you mind if I called you? I prefer it to text. _ ”

“ _ Oh god yes. Texting is hard, speaking is easy. _ ”

Sure enough a couple minutes later Rox’s phone rang.

“Hey,” Rox answered, trying very hard to sound normal. What does normal sound like? How does she talk to pretty girls again?

“Hey yourself. You know I was convinced that I may be the only person in the world that likes actually hearing a person’s voice instead of texting.”

“We’re a rare breed.”

“That we are,” Iris said, and to Rox it sounded like she was smiling. “Oh you son of a bitch!”

“What did I do?”

“Oh, sorry. Nothing. I’m watching a football game. England and Spain are playing each other, and, of course, my girls are gonna blow the bloody game!”

“Oh, you’re a fan?” Rox asked.

“Yeah, you can say that. I haven’t gotten terribly invested in the local teams yet.”

“I play for one of those local teams,” this was Rox’s chance to try and sound impressive.

“I know,” Iris said. “You’re really talented. A little weak on your left side, but your handling game is quite impressive.”

“Oh, wow,” once again, Iris had thrown Rox off balance. “You know all that off the top of your head, and that’s you not being really invested?”

“Yeah, when I get invested I’m at all the home games, face painted, wearing jersey’s, getting into bar fights with people who disrespect my team. You know, the usual English soccer hooligan type deal.”

“Oh…”

Iris chuckled to herself a little, “That was a joke.”

“Of course it was,” Rox muttered, smiling despite feeling like a huge idiot for not realizing that.

“But really, I do go all in for my teams. Face painting is part of the dress code.”

“So you have the English cross painted on your face right now?”

“Of course.”

“If I was to ask you out for a drink you’d need some time to get cleaned up?”

Iris chuckled. “No, I like going out on first dates with my war paint still on. Where did you have in mind?”

Somehow, Rox wasn’t entirely sure how, but she got a date, with a surgeon, who was pretty gorgeous, loved soccer, had a fucking great accent, and actually showed up to their first date at the silly little dive bar that Rox liked so much with an English Cross painted all over her face.

* * *

 

It turns out that seeing Iris was possibly one of the easier things Rox had ever done.

They talked most days, unless Iris was pulling a late shift at the hospital, then Rox had to find some way to occupy the time without her.

And talking to Iris was nice. 

No, scratch that. 

Talking to Iris was really great. 

She had typical, snarky sense of humor, she loved to tease, her sarcasm knew no bounds and she was full of puns. All the time, every day, all day - puns for all. 

But it made Rox smile. It made her laugh and the more she tried to deny it, the more obvious it became - Iris was turning out to be someone Rox could easily fall for. 

For the most part, it scared her very much. Was she even ready to let herself grow so close to someone again? Wasn’t it too soon? For any person watching from the sidelines, maybe not. But Rox went through a lot and life hadn’t exactly treated her nicely.

It was a little past ten, which meant that Iris should be off work, plenty of time to change and all that stuff. She felt like she waited an appropriate amount of time to not seem terribly desperate when she called, so Rox picked up the phone and called Iris.

“Hey,” Iris said sounding worse for the wear.

“Hey, you ok?”

Iris sighed very heavily into the phone. “Shitty day at work. I need a drink.”

“Can I do anything?”

There was a pause from Iris. A significant pause. “I… I’m going to shower for about an hour. And… if you want to join me at a bar afterwards, I wouldn’t hate the company.”

“That little place over by you? In like an hour?” Rox asked.

“Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll see you,” Iris said just before she hung up the phone.

Rox got to the bar a little early, but Iris had already beaten her there, and had started without her, judging my the mostly empty beer and empty shot glass.

“I haven’t eaten anything in awhile, so I’m already a little drunk,” Iris informed her.

“You should eat something.”

“I know. I’m a medical professional. Simon, here,” Iris made a lazy motion towards the bartender, “already put in an order of nachos and a giant, greasy burger with fries.”

“You ok?” Rox asked.

“I’m fine,” Iris responded. “Simon says you should drink. Hehe Simon says.”

Rox ordered herself a drink just as a massive pile of nachos arrived in front of Iris. She pushed the plate in between the two of them.

“Look,” Iris said between bites, “I like you Rox. A lot. And I know we talk all the time, and we’ve gone out together a few times. But I want to know if this is a thing or not. I know you got burned real bad by your ex.”

“How-”

“You talk about her enough for me to have figured it out. I didn’t go to school for all those years for nothing.”

Rox apologized into her beer.

“If you want to be friends, I want to know now. We can keep on like we have. But I want to be your girlfriend. I want to do the whole shebang. Hehe she bang. I want the fancy nights out, simple dates out to the movies, lazy nights in, I want to be able to rant to you about the awful day I’ve had, all that jazz. Just let me know if we are committing to this or not.”

“I…” Rox started. This took an unexpected turn.

It’s true that they’ve been kind of in this weird holding pattern the last couple of weeks. They’ve gone out, gotten drinks, done some things together, but Rox had been too self aware, or self absorbed to do anything about it. She did really like Iris a lot. All those questions that had been bothering her the last couple of days had come to the forefront. She needed to answer them one way or the other, right now.

“Yes,” her heart said before her head could figure anything out.

“Oh good,” Iris said as she leaned her head on Rox’s shoulder. “I’m really glad. Because I like you a lot. And I hate to be that girl, but I could really use something nice tonight.”

Rox couldn’t help but smile. “I’ll try to be nice as I can. So is this the part where you tell your girlfriend about your bad day?”

“I think this is the part where I shove nachos in my face while trying to hide the blush and the grin, actually.”

* * *

 

The first time she kissed Iris was seared into Rox’s mind forever.

There was no grand gesture, it wasn’t even the same night that they decided they were dating.

It was a few days later. Rox had agreed to meet Iris after her shift, they were going to get some late food at a fancy little restaurant downtown.

They met up, had dinner, talked, laughed, had a generally great time.

When they left the restaurant as it closed down for the night, Iris had a grin stuck on her face as she couldn’t let go of the frankly awful joke Rox had said over dessert.

There was something about the lighting and the way Iris was just so beautiful.

Rox didn’t kiss Iris, nor did Iris kiss Rox. It was a mutual thing. For a second they saw the look in each other’s eyes and they moved together at the same time, in sync, without a word being spoken.

It was strange, because neither one had to speak or direct the other, they just went with what felt natural, and it was the easiest, most effortless, wonderful kiss either one had experienced.

Iris was warm and smooth and soft and tasted ever so slightly of chocolate and salt from dessert. She smelled like heaven.

Her lips tasted of all the need and joy and excitement that Iris was feeling, and Rox was sure that her own emotions were just as noticeable.

At the same time they pulled away ever so slightly, both having a pretty dazed look on their faces and breathing a little heavier than just moments ago.

“Took you long enough,” Iris said.

“I’ll show you long enough,” Rox responded instantly.

“Oh I didn’t know we were skipping right to the kinky sex,” Iris winked.

Just like always, Iris knew exactly what to say to throw Rox off balance and get her to sputter. 

She just laughed and grabbed Rox’s hand as she started heading away from the restaurant and towards her apartment. “Come on! I’ve got the day off tomorrow and I’d very much like to spend as much time with you as possible.”

* * *

 

A week after that, Iris managed to drag Rox back to her place once again, but only this time she had a really long shift and Rox came to pick her up with pizza. Really, it was the sweetest thing ever. After they ate, they settled in Iris’ bedroom, got a movie to watch and planned on spending the night relaxing. 

Rox didn’t really plan on anything else happening, not with how nervous she was and how tired she supposed Iris would be, but the movie-watching didn’t really last long. The fact that they were watching it in Iris’ giant bed probably wasn’t helping.

About half hour into the movie, Iris had Rox pinned down and her lips latched onto Rox’s neck. It was all kinds of hot and sexy and the way Iris kissed her pulse point did things to Rox she didn’t really know she could feel. And her hands! She sure knew how to use her hands. Those years in surgery really paid off.

To gently skim over soft skin, to knead and scratch at trembling flesh, to hold close and push, thrust and curl at just the right moments… It was all gentle and warm but at the same time, it was rough just the right amount. 

Iris was absolutely everything Rox ever hoped to have in a lover, and all she’d never hoped to get. 

When it came to Rox, for the first time in months, years - she gave herself to someone deeply and thoroughly, she kissed harder than she’d ever kissed anyone, bit and scratched, pulled and thrusted in ways she forgot she could. She wanted to make Iris feel how much she cared, how much it meant to have her. How wonderful it was to be with her. 

And it was nothing if not wonderful.

Sometime in the dead of the night, lying next to each other with only the bedside lamp turned on, Rox finally allowed herself to consider what her heart had been trying to tell her all along. It was easy to fall for Iris, yes, but she never considered how fast it might happen.

“So, I’m sensing there’s a story behind this tattoo,” Iris said from her location on Rox’s stomach, that toned, wonderful stomach. Her finger idly tracing Rox’s “Lesbian!” tattoo, occasionally letting her finger stray too far south.

Her words brought Rox back from her own thoughts and she tilted her head to meet Iris’ gaze with a lazy smile on her lips. “I was young and foolish. But I don’t regret it. I love it. I got it when I was in a weird place and I felt like I had to prove to myself and everyone else that I am who I am. Besides I am a lesbian so sometimes it helps skip some awkward conversations,” Rox murmured just before her breath hitched when Iris leaned over and pressed her lips to her tattoo. 

“Hey Rox?” Iris murmured against her skin, fingers tracing lines down her toned muscles.

“Mhm?” 

“I’m really happy you’re my girlfriend.” Iris said with a smirk and pulled herself up, pecking Rox’s lips.

“Me too.” Rox smiled into the kiss and shifted a little to pull the covers over them. “Come on woman, sleep time. I need to rest if I’m going to give you a really nice surprise this morning.” Rox grinned at her and reached over to turn off the light.

“You know, it’s not a surprise when you announce it.” Iris pinched her cheek lightly and leaned her head in the crook of Rox’s neck with a smile. 

“And how would you know what I’ve got planned for you?” Rox teased, tightening her hold.

“I have a pretty decent idea.” Iris murmured into her neck, teeth grazing Rox’s skin. “I’m pretty sure it involves your fingers and tongue a lot, right?” 

Rox simply squeezed her hands tighter around Iris’ waist and grumbled to herself, but with a smirk playing on her lips.

* * *

 

Rox had barely been gone from Iris’ apartment the next day when she was calling Iris up.

“Hey, I know I just say you like twenty minutes ago, but I was hoping I could see you again tonight?” Rox asked her.

“I must be really good in bed if once last night and twice again this morning couldn’t satiate you,” Iris countered.

“I was thinking, maybe you could accompany me… well, um, somewhere?”

“Absolutely dear.”

“Really? Great, I’ll pick you up around eight then,” Rox said, her mind already buzzing, swirling with what the hell was going to happen tonight, what had just happened. Then she added absently, without thinking about the words or hearing herself say them, “Love you.”

When Rox picked up Iris, she was looking as gorgeous as ever and she had this grin on her face.

“What?” Rox asked.

“Oh nothing,” Iris said with a kiss hello. “So where are we going?”

“Uh… remember my ex? The big one? Well she invited me over to… apologize I guess?”

“Are you sure about this? Are we gonna knock on the door and she’ll be standing there in a whipcream thong?”

“I doubt it. Her current girlfriend, someone I used to be friends with, did the actual inviting.”

“I think my point still stands. Are you sure that this isn’t some orgy we’re going to? Because despite what you may think, I want you all to myself.”

Rox could only smile.

The party was awkward, there were apologies all around, and strange silences sometimes. But god did it feel good to be back with old friends. She really did like these people. Rox did miss Asami but no longer in a sexual or romantic way, no, she missed Asami’s friendship. Hell, she even missed Korra a little bit. Just a little bit, not much. (Okay so maybe it was a bit more than just a little bit.)

And she was so thankful to have Iris with her, a hand to hold, and more importantly, someone to oggle at every opportunity. Iris was more than happy to give her plenty of chances to stare.

When the party ended, both of them wound up in Iris’ bed again.

There were words in Rox’s throat, words that needed to get out, and there was no good way to say it.

“I love you,” Rox told Iris. “A lot.”

Iris looked up at her and smiled. “I know.”

Rox narrowed her eyes. “Are you being an ass and quoting Star Wars at me?”

“Maybe a little,” Iris responded. She then wiggled her hips at Rox. “But you like my butt.”

“I do.”

“Also you talk in your sleep,” Iris informed her. “And if last night was anything to  judge by, you have a crush on me. You  _ like  _ me.”

Rox let Iris tease her in her middle school mocking voice for a little bit because she was grinning too hard.

“Also,” Iris mumbled into her skin, “You already told me you loved me this morning.” 

“I what?” Rox gaped at her a little, tilting her head. “I think I’d remember that.” 

Iris huffed before a chuckle escaped her. “When you called me. You said ‘love you’ before you hung up.” 

Rox never thought her cheeks could feel as hot. “I did not.”

“You so did.”

“No.” 

“Mhm.” 

“No way.” 

“Way. You just couldn’t keep it to yourself,” Iris countered, leaning on her elbow and tracing a finger over Rox’s lips. “Don’t worry though, I said that I love you too.” 

“You did? How come I didn’t hear you then?” Rox was still staring at her in confusion.

“Well ‘cause you already hung up.” 

“I am still not sure if you’re just fucking with me or what.”

“I thought we did that like, ten minutes ago.” Iris mumbled with a grin.

Rox’s eyes widened with realization. “Wait… You just… You said you love me too.” 

“I did, yeah.” Iris smiled, leaning closer ever so slightly.

“You love me?” 

Before she pressed her lips to Rox’s, Iris murmured against them. “Yes, I love you Roxana.” 

“I love you too.” Rox whispered as her lips spread in a smile when Iris kissed her.

“Does this mean I can get free season tickets to all your games?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was how we tricked you all into read a couple hundred thousand words just to sucker you into reading and getting all invested in a chapter/character that has nothing to do with the characters you showed up for.  
> Oops?


	35. Exes and Oh's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh. We did a whoopsie.

The day Asami graduated, nobody remembered it was four months earlier than expected. The vast amounts of alcohol poured at the party did a number on everyone’s memory, but mostly on the tightly-knit community of their close friends.

Everyone stopped counting Bolin’s drinks after the number five, Mako wasn’t the designated driver for once in his life, Iris drank more than everyone  and Korra managed to get to seven drinks before her brain decided it was time for her to take a sudden two-hour nap. Rox had to carry her to bed - Asami probably would have but she only managed to stand for a couple of seconds before her sense of gravity began failing her. 

A week later though, at their quiet, just-us-time celebration, Korra made sure to boast to every single stranger, over a glass or two of wine, at the restaurant how her girlfriend finished uni four months early and what a brilliant genius she is. She called her parents a couple of times that evening, just to tell them how proud she is of Asami. After the third call, Senna stopped answering her phone. 

Of course, when they got back to their place, Asami made sure to properly thank Korra for being such a wonderful girlfriend and taking her out to dinner. To say Korra had absolutely no sleep that night would be the understatement of the year. 

Things were looking like they were going pretty great. No, scratch that. They  _ were _ going really great, and a lot of time, both Korra and Asami thought things couldn’t get better.

Asami was finally able to step up and start working at Future Industries full time, taking up more and more of her father’s position, but of course there’d be a downside. Things could only go great for so long.

Her free time was starting to get severely restricted, at least until she got fully acquainted with her father’s business. But to make things just a little bit harder for them, Hiroshi decided to fully step down from his position as CEO and on top of not having any time for anything, Asami got to learn how to be the boss of one of the biggest firms in the world. It wasn’t just stressful, it was horrifying. 

It took her a couple of weeks, but Asami finally started getting the hang of it. Working hours weren’t 24/7 any longer and she even managed to squeeze in a dinner with Korra and her father. The first of many such dinners, Asami hoped.

Korra on the other hand, probably never feared anything as much in her life. Okay, maybe that fateful day when she finally decided to face her feelings and tell Asami how much she’s the love of her life, but that’s a story in itself. And a whole other dimension. 

Dinner with Hiroshi… Hiroshi Sato… Uh. 

Asami never laughed so much. Korra must have tried at least six different shirts until she settled on the one she tried on first, then it took her ten more minutes to pick a nice tie - the green on it fit well with Asami’s eyes and it made Asami aww for a minute -, the suspenders she wanted badly to wear didn’t fit her as good as she thought they would and her pants felt super tight. She actually asked Asami if her muscles were too big to which Asami simply replied with a ‘was I complaining last night?’ Korra’s cheeks flushed, Asami had to grin even wider and they were ten minutes late to dinner. 

The dinner in itself was very nice, warm and pleasant, up until the point Asami left to use the bathroom. Korra knew she’d take a bit longer than usual because they decided to go out to a club after the dinner so she’d probably spend some time brushing up on her makeup but that left plenty of time for Korra to sweat in front of Hiroshi. Hiroshi Sato. Somehow Korra never managed to say his name in her own mind without saying his - and Asami’s, consequently - last name as well. 

“So, Korra.” Hiroshi started, after taking a long sip of his wine. “Asami tells me you’re getting back in shape for professional soccer.”

“I-I am sir. I mean, I’m trying. I spent way too much time moping around and getting in shape is not a two-week job.” Korra smiled sheepishly. 

“Certainly. Are you managing that and your courses?” 

“Yes, I actually love the university here and my professors are absolutely wonderful. If I don’t make it into pro soccer again, I might make a future of my studies.” 

“Might?” 

“I mean I will. Yes, surely. I’ll make sure to be able to take care of Asami. Not that she can’t take care of herself, I mean, she’s really good at that, she’s wonderful and I’m sure you know that but yeah, she can take care of herself.” Korra mentally groaned. “Not that I’ll ever let her!” Then she mentally slapped herself. “I mean-” 

“I know what you mean,” Hiroshi said softly, one hand resting on the cane he had to walk with, somehow becoming more intimidating than before. “I do have one question Korra.” 

“Yes?” Korra wringed her hands together under the table.

“Can I be sure you won’t hurt her?” Hiroshi asked, leaning over on his elbows, his chin resting on his hands. “Again?” 

In many ways, his question could have and before, would have hurt. But in so many other ways, the answer that left Korra’s lips was as easy as breathing.

“I love her, Mr. Sato. I love her more than life itself.” Korra took a breath, steeling herself. “She is my world. She has always been my everything and I’m sad it took me so long to figure it out but now that I have her, now that she’s finally with meI- I don’t plan on ever letting her go.” She took another breath, this time exhaling slowly. “I love her. And I intend to make her happy for the rest of my life. I will make sure never to hurt her again. I’ll give it my all. She already has all of me and everything else I’ll have to give will be hers.” 

Korra felt a hand on her shoulder, and she almost jumped out of her skin.

Asami smiled into a kiss she planted on Korra’s lips before sitting down beside her. “Good thing I don’t plan on letting you go either. I love you too.”

Hiroshi still had a rather serious look on his face, eyes boring into Korra’s. Despite Asami sitting next to her, Korra felt like she was still being analyzed.

“Hard to argue with,” he said, finally sitting back, with a large smile playing on his face.

A couple of months later, Korra finally got her degree, Rox got her a tryout for a pro-soccer team, and Korra was utterly in love with the greatest, smartest woman to ever exist. And lucky enough to be with her.

Then things got… well not bad, but not as great or as easy as they were in school.

When Korra got her tryout she was nothing more than a complete and utter rookie. Because she was still in school while the season started and she actually missed the chance to get on the team the only way for her to be even remotely involved in the sport she loved so much, Korra got to be the glorified towel girl. She was a training dummy for the actual pro-athletes to practice on. For Rox to practice on.

It wasn’t an easy task. It was tedious and annoying and the hours were horrible but at least Korra got to hang out more with people who shared her passion for soccer and occasionally, they’d have her pitch in as a substitute in a practice game. After a few weeks, Korra started joining the squad in regular practice and her workouts increased both in intensity and length. But in the end, tediousness turned into fun. 

Rox and Korra hung out after practice here and there, drinks were always included and more often than not, Asami and Iris would join them. Soon enough, a tradition began forming. A couple of times even Mako and Mia - his now very much steady girlfriend - joined them, but after the third - or fourth? - week of hanging out Mako showed up alone, all mopey and whining about their first actual fight and Asami practically shooed him out of the bar, begging him to either make up with her or go home and sleep for a couple of days. Or weeks. Grumpy Mako they could all handle but Mopey Mako is a no-no. 

Bolin would occasionally join them, but after he declined their invitation for the third time, Korra stopped inviting him. The pout she had when she told Asami was too adorable. Asami had to kiss it better for a while that evening. But Korra had a freckle of doubt in her head and she needed to solve the mystery of the ever-busy Bolin. A month later, she did. 

Korra was on her way home to meet Asami for dinner but being the wonderful romantic that she is, she decided to stop by a flower shop and get a couple hundred flowers for her gorgeous girlfriend. No reason, just ‘cause. Of course, the florist simply stared at her in confusion - and what Korra could only interpret as hidden joy - until Korra corrected herself and asked for a randomly put together buquet of the most beautiful flowers the florist could find. 

When she stepped out of the flower shop, Korra nearly dropped the flowers, her gym bag and her phone she’d been clutching in her hand. 

“O-Opal?” Korra only managed to mumble in a weak voice. “Wha-”

“Korra?” A voice too familiar welcomed her when the guy next to Opal turned to face her.

“Bo?” Korra gaped at them, eyes scanning first Opal, then Bolin. Then shifting from one to the other. 

Opal stood there, stunned and mildly confused. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, she spoke up. “Korra? What are you doing here?” 

“I… I live here.” Korra answered, clutching the flowers in her hand, “I mean, uh, not here exactly, I mean I don’t live in a flower shop but here, in the city.”

“Oh.” Opal only mumbled. She opened her mouth to speak again but Bolin beat her to it.

“Wait. You two know each other?” He turned to Korra.

“Yeah, Opal was my roommate.” Korra said. 

“I was your friend too, Korra.” Opal mumbled, “Or at least I thought so.” 

Korra swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’m so sorry Opal. I was such a piece of shit. And I’m not going to say I’ve been meaning to call because that just sounds so stupid but I-”

“Am I missing something?” Bolin mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Korra was my roommate and a really good friend. Then she just gathered her things and left one day, barely said goodbye and I haven’t heard from her since. I think it’s been what, two years? More?” Opal glanced at Korra briefly, before her eyes returned to Bolin. “And here we are.” 

“You really had to go and piss every single person off, didn’t you?” Bolin stared at Korra, his brows furrowed. 

“Bo…” Korra started but her words died out on her lips. It took her a few seconds to compose herself enough to speak again. “I’d like to apologize Opal. But not like this. If you want, if you’d be up for it I mean, we could maybe grab a cup of coffee or something?” 

Opal stared at her for a few moments before sighing. “I wish I could say no but I really miss you, y’know? And I feel we have a lot to talk about.” 

Korra eyed them both before raising an eyebrow. “I think we do.” 

Bolin’s cheeks flared a little. “Hey, don’t change the subject.” 

“Oh just you wait till I tell everyone.” Korra grumbled.

“Tell everyone what?” Opal asked.

“That he’s been ditching our hangouts ‘cause of a girl. And none other than my ex roommate.” Korra’s lips twitched in a smirk which only widened when Opal’s blush managed to match Bolin’s.

“Well, I mean, I- I may have missed one hangout.” 

“You ditched us three times and yesterday you even called and said you couldn’t make it today because you have to go to the dentist’s.” Korra glared at him. “So how’s that appointment going?” Korra winked at them, shifting on the balls of her feet. “I didn’t know you studied dentistry Opal.”

Korra may have had a lot to make up for, and Opal certainly had no reason to forgive her for just disappearing a couple of years ago, but the blush in Opal’s cheeks and the small smile on her lips let Korra know that maybe she’d get a chance to right another wrong she’d done in her life. And maybe get another great friend back. 

“We should get going, I got us a table at that Italian place a couple of blocks away,” Bolin mumbled, offering his arm to Opal who took it without hesitation. 

“I’ll have Bolin give me your number,” Opal said, “And I’ll give you a call, kay?” 

“Sounds great.” Korra answered with a wide smile. 

That night when she told Asami everything they laughed way too hard at all the jokes that they came up with for future teasing of Bolin. The next hangout he’d come to would be a rather enjoyable one.

* * *

 

**AND THIS IS WHAT MAKO AND MIA FOUGHT OVER**

Mako’s stomach growled and grumbled. Mia immediately started giggling.

“What?” He said.

“It sounds just like you,” she laughed, before her face turned suddenly serious and her eyebrows narrowed. Mia lowered her voice in an imitation of Mako, “wah, I'm hungry. Feed me. Ugh, my eyebrows are so pointy.”

“Hey! I thought you liked my eyebrows…”

“I do! But they just look so… Sharp sometimes.”

“Whatever, I'm gonna order a pizza. What do you like?” Mako asked as he reached for his phone.

“Whatever you like my dear. You're the young one in the relationship, I think you should chose.”

“Cheese ok?”

“Like as an ingredient or the  _ only _ topping.”

“Uh… Just cheese?”

“Mako… Dear… You're great, and selfless, and awfully serious, but for the love of fucking God, please tell me that cheese isn't your favorite pizza topping.”

“What if it is?”

“I might have to break up with you.”

“Really?”

“What good is pizza if it doesn't deliver at least two kinds of meat to my face hole?”

“What? I like cheese!”

“Goat cheese? Blue cheese? Anything interesting?”

“Just… Regular mozzarella.”

“Shit… You can't even say some weird vegetable or something? Just fucking cheese?”

“What? What's wrong with cheese?”

“Nothing! I didn't know I was dating such a fucking dork!”

“I'm not a dork!”

“You're a massive dork!”

“It's not my fault I was lucky enough to have pizza at all when I was a kid!” Mako yelled finally getting off the couch. “I'll just go have my boring cheese pizza by myself!”

“You gigantic tit!” Yelled Korra several hours later. “Tit!” Echoed Asami (slightly tipsy, using it both as an insult to Mako and being fascinated with her girlfriend’s).

“What!” Yelled Mako back.

“It's not her fault that you're such a dork!” Korra yelled again. “One - she's right your favorite pizza is laaaaame. Two - she didn't know that you were a poor orphan child that couldn't afford more toppings!”

“How tragic!” Asami said in her sing-song tipsy voice.

“But-” Mako started by Korra cut him off.

“Go talk to your girlfriend you dumbass! And learn to appreciate the spicy joy of pepperoni!”

“It's all about sausage!” Asami yelled from her new spot on Korra's lap.

“Mostaccioli!” Yelled Bolin from… wherever Bolin was.

“Fine…” Mako grumped. “I'll go.”

“Yeah! Mopey Mako is banned from hangouts!” Asami called after him. “We will only accept Angry Mako and Happily Fucked Mako.”

“Aww! I didn't want to think about that,” Bolin yelled.

“Yeah, me either,” Korra said between kisses to Asami’s forehead.

“I hate you all,” Mako groaned. “Why am I friends with any of you?”

* * *

 

A week before the final game of the year, Korra was nervous. She was really fucking nervous. 

Rox called her up a couple of hours before practice and told her the coach would probably want to have a chat with her and that she might get to play at the last game. Of course, Korra didn’t wanna get her hopes up but when the coach actually asked to talk to her after practice, Korra’s heart was racing. 

Then when the coach actually told her that not only would she get the chance to play - because Korra figured if she did get a chance, she’d get a couple of the last minutes as a substitute - not even in her wildest dreams did Korra expect to get to play from the very beginning. So when she stormed out of coach’s office and saw Rox waiting for her at the stadium parking lot, she couldn’t stop herself from jumping on her and yelling how she got a spot in the first lineup. 

Rox gaped at her for a couple of seconds, then dropped her and proceed to jump around and shout like a maniac with her. They got really,  _ really _ drunk that evening and the morning after the sun was their biggest ever enemy. That and the early morning practice they completely forgot about. 

Asami was ever supportive of Korra’s constant mood changes because the whole ‘I got a chance and I’m going to use it’ thing got her so excited that one moment she was over the roof and the next she was worrying how she would pass this, and what if that happened, and how she couldn’t yet kick the ball well and what if she ruins all her chances? 

A couple of warm, gentle kisses and soothing words always seemed to help pull Korra’s mind out of the gutter. And of course, sex. Lots and lots of it. 

Not that Asami minded. 

It was an eventful Sunday. Until that evening Korra got a text from Opal that made her cringe, her heart raced, and her vision began to blur. 

“ _ Hey I know we were talking about meeting up next weekend but I can’t, I’ve got this thing I need to go to. And um… I didn’t know if I should tell you, but I figured since you’re going around those circles again and I don’t want you being unprepared, Kuvira’s gonna be in town over the weekend. Her team’s got a game against the local one. Anyway, I’ll get back at you about that coffee!”  _

Korra dropped the phone before she even read the last couple of sentences. As she rubbed at her eyes she managed to bring the phone back in front of them and reread the whole message again, hoping that she misread but fearing she hadn’t. The latter won out. 

“Sami?” Korra called softly, still staring at her phone from her positiong on the couch.

“Yeah?” Asami answered from the kitchen.

“Kuvira’s gonna be in town next weekend.” 

At first, the silence that welcomed her, startled Korra. But then a moment later Asami was at her side, sitting down next to her and reaching out with both her arms wide open, bringing them around her shoulders and pulling her in a warm embrace.

“You ok?” She murmured next to Korra’s ear. 

“I- I think so.” Korra mumbled. She stared forward for a couple more seconds then sighed and leaned into Asami’s embrace. “No, no I’m not okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking. "Here they go again with the drama.."   
> Well, no. Not really. We really, really, reeeeeeeeeeeeeeally want this last thing resolved and we've some very nice lines we've wanted written in this particular sense since the very beginning so yeah - next chapter it's time to resolve the last thing that's been left hanging. Prepare for some extra cheesy fluff after it.


	36. Versus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oh god this chapter was so bothersome to write

“Hello there soccer fans! I’m your announcer Trish Reeves.”

“And I’m her co-host Beatrix Hart.”

“It’s looking like it will be a good match today.”

“Yeah, the home team, the Red Stars are playing against their bitter division rivals the Reign.”

“That’s right B. The Reign have systematically eliminated the Red Stars from the playoffs two years in a row. This year was no different.”

“This game is essentially pointless for the Red Stars as they have no hope of making it to the postseason.”

“I don’t think that’s totally true, I’m thinking the Red Stars want to beat the Reign as badly as they can, just to end their season on a win over the team that has beaten them four out of the last five times they met.”

“While I agree Trish, I don’t think the coach of the Red Stars shares your opinion. There’s been quite a bit of a change on the starting roster. Rookie Korra Nizhoni is starting today.”

“It is strange to see a raw rookie getting a starting position, but you have to keep in mind that the Red Stars have had a terrible year when it comes to injuries, they might just need bodies to put on the field. And I’ve seen Korra in practice, the girl does try. She could be good.”

“But putting her up against the Reign her first time out seems a little cruel.”

“Sometimes the best way to find out what someone is made of is to throw them into the fire.”

“True. Kick off is in thirty minutes, please stay tuned we’ll be back after these messages.”

* * *

It was strange how quickly joy could turn to fear and nerves.

Everything had been so great a week ago.

Then with one stupid text everything changed.

Korra had thought she had been fine with everything that happened. It happened, she got over it, she moved on. She even finally got around to apologizing to Opal.

Her past was firmly stuck behind her, where it should have been.

But now she has to find out that on the week of her first game as a pro, ever, She Who Shouldn’t Be Named is in town. This city isn’t that small. Just thinking of the last month worth of people she’s bumped into randomly on the street: Bolin, Opal, Rox (twice), Marsha (a girl she had class with once or twice), that weirdly intense girl Cecile. Korra knew that Kuvira would be waiting just around whatever corner she was rounding next.

There was too much for her to worry about: getting the apology to Opal right, running into Kuvira which could happen at any moment, and this game which could very well determine the course of her career with this team.

It was just too much all at once.

She felt kind of like she was gonna puke.

All over her brand new, totally clean uniform.

“Korra,” said Rox from behind her. “You’ll be fine. You’re made for this.”

She didn’t respond, she just took a deep breath and tried to steady her shaking legs.

“Even if you’re not made for this, Asami’s out there. You want to look good for her, don’t you?”

Korra stopped nervously twitching. “Yeah… Yeah you’re right.”

“Besides, you just have to play like you did the other day, you’ll be fine. You’ve earned this spot.”

“Thanks Rox.”

“Now let’s go kick some ass.”

* * *

 

“I still can’t believe you actually convinced me to do this,” Asami said, half-smiling as she stared at Iris.

“What? You don’t want to support your girlfriend?” Iris immediately countered.

“I do… It’s just… I was ready for the face paint, but this seems-”

“Necessary?” Iris said.

Somehow, Iris had convinced Asami that for the last game of the season, and Korra’s first game, they couldn’t just settle for the normal “warpaint” on their faces, no they had to go full body paint.

The two women’s faces were totally painted in the team’s colors, as were their arms and chests.

“I guess?” Asami said. Thankfully the autumn sun was still out, and the chill was a reasonable level. “But what are we gonna do if they ever make it to the championship?”

“Streaking,” Iris answered immediately.

Asami looked in the woman’s eyes, behind the paint, and couldn’t tell if she was lying or not.

“Good god,” Asami muttered to herself.

“I told you, I’m an English Soccer Hooligan born and raised,” Iris said. “Two beers here!”

She was going to need the beer. It hadn’t escaped Asami that this was the first time she was spending time with Iris alone. They’d hung out plenty of times, but always with other people around.

And there was the rather unfortunate implications that she was Rox’s ex.

Iris paid the vendor for their beers and handed Asami one.

“Well, I’m glad we could do this,” she said to break the silence that had started to settle.

“Yeah, we don’t spend individual time together do we?” Iris pointed out.

“Not really.”

“It’s not because I don’t like you or anything, and I’m sure as hell not threatened by you.”

“You’re not?”

“Nope. If I thought that there was even a chance that Rox still had any feelings towards you, I’d give you my speech about how I’m a surgeon and I know exactly how to kill someone without making it look like a murder. But I’m totally confident she’s the one for me, and I’m the one for her. She’s probably my soulmate.”

“Oh…” Asami muttered. That was a lot more frank, and to the point, than she was expecting. “Well I’m glad you don’t have to murder me.”

“Me too! It’s actually a  _ lot _ of work,” Iris started but then stopped so she could stand up and start screaming. “Yeah! Here they come! Fuck yeah! Let’s go girls!”

Sure enough Iris’ enthusiasm was starting to transfer to Asami, or maybe it was just the body paint.

“YEAH! KORRA!”

* * *

 

This was it, Korra was finally stepping out on the field, the green grass, the screaming fans, the uniform. This was everything she’d wanted for a long time.

Well almost everything.

She heard her name screamed from the stands and Korra couldn’t help but smile as she spied Asami and Iris screaming from the front row, faces and chests and arms painted in the team colors.

This might turn out to be the best day ever.

Rox was right next to Korra, drinking in the same sights as her.

“Isn’t this the best?” Rox muttered.

“Yeah.”

“Come on, let’s kick some ass.”

“Yeah, let’s go,” Korra said. Her nerves had been replaced giddy excitement. Rox was right, this is what she was made for, that and loving Asami.

She got in line behind her team and started shaking hands with the other team.

Then all of a sudden she was there. A tall woman standing in front of her, with a smirk that seemed to stretch on forever.

“Hey Korra,” Kuvira said as they shook hands. “It’s been a while.”

“Oh fuck,” Asami said as she sunk into the plastic chair.

“What?” 

“See that tall girl on the opposing team?” Asami pointed.

“Yeah, she’s a striker. One of the biggest players on the Reign. She’s probably gonna be one of their top scorers next year. She’s also aggressive as hell, bit of a dirty player. Why?”

“You ever got an ex that just the mere thought of them makes you nauseous and anxious and the bile rise in your throat?” Asami asked, but when Iris didn’t answer she assumed she did. “Kuvira is that ex for Korra.”

“Oh… Shit.”

“Yeah. Shit.”

“She’s gonna be okay, Asami.” Iris mumbled, reaching out to place a comforting hand on Asami’s leg. “Let’s make sure she can hear how much we’re on her side from here, yeah?” 

Asami could only nod.

* * *

 

How does Kuvira have such a talent for showing up at the worst times and ruining everything?

God, now Korra is going to be playing for her career and playing against Kuvira.

Fucking Kuvira.

The coach put Korra at midfield, half offense half defense. The moment the whistle went off, Korra was off and away, running to meet the ball whenever any of her teammates would pass but she didn’t feel confident enough to try and make it towards the goal, or anywhere near. The fact that Kuvira was there, watching, running near her, occasionally all too near - it only made things twice as hard. As if it wasn’t hard enough already.

The first half went by relatively smoothly. Korra’s contribution was fairly high, with a lot of passes, each one correct, and with a few intercepts that lead to great actions. Rox managed to have a few shots at goal but didn’t manage to score. Their goalkeeper was far too good and the team seemed to be everywhere at once.  

At halftime, when they hurried to retreat to the changing room to rest for a bit, Asami rushed down to give Korra a quick peck on the check over the small metal fence. It had Korra beaming and smiling and for a few minutes, Korra felt better than ever. Kuvira hadn’t really tried anything, at least not with her, and Korra hoped - felt even - that the game might just be better than she’d expected. 

When they got back on the field, fifteen minutes later, Korra was jumping up and down excitedly, grinning at Rox. 

“What’s gotten into you?” Rox grinned back at you.

“I just realized the game’s been going better than I expected.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah. Let’s go win this thing.” Korra said as she raised her fist for Rox to bump. 

“Let’s.” Rox said with a nod as their fists connected. 

The main referee whistled for the start of the second half and with the ball in their feet this time, Korra finally felt a rush to hurry towards the enemy goal. Rox seemed to pick up on her eagerness so she hurried along, running on the other side of the field. One of their teammates decided to pass the ball in her direction and she passed it back, until the ball was flying towards Korra’s space. She found herself nearing the penalty box and when she finally looked up, she saw an opening, just a tiny spot between two enemy players and, driven by her newfound courage, Korra swung towards the goal, stopping in her tracks when the ball went flying.

It hit the goal post and Korra groaned, her hands flying to her face but a moment later she heard the crowd shouting and yelling so she looked up and just in time. Rox was running in towards the goal box and the ball managed to bounce in her direction so when she swung at it, she hit it with all her force and a moment later, the net was shaking and the ball was tucked safely against it. 

Korra’s arms shot up when Rox came rushing towards her and jumping at her, screaming along with their teammates. 

Somehow, they’d managed to score a goal and everything else around them faded.

* * *

 

“THAT’S MY GIRLFRIEND!”

Asami really should have known Iris would going into berserk mode if Rox scored. Of course she would. It was Iris, for fucks sakes. They were covered in paint, and her girlfriend just scored. 

Of course Iris would shout. And yell. And jump. And do a little dance. And spill their beer. Then order three more and spill two when they got there. Of course.

“Iris, you need to calm the fuck down. It’s been ten minutes since she’s scored and you’re still yelling.” 

“I know I know,” Iris grinned at her and slumped down in her seat, “I’m just so proud of her, y’know?” She glanced back to the field, eyes scouring through until they settled on Rox once more. She sighed, running a hand through her hair. “So very proud..” 

Asami opened her mouth so say something but stopped herself when she saw the look in Iris’ eyes, how closely they followed Rox even from so far away.

Iris leaned on her elbow, never once looking away from Rox. She’d run closer to their side of the field and Iris couldn’t tear her eyes away even if she tried. Not that she wanted to. Her mind started wandering places and soon she found herself picturing a future where she’d be right there, in that seat, in ten, twenty years, shouting just the same but with a ring on her finger and maybe, just maybe, a lil boy or a girl sitting next to her, shouting just as much as she is. The words slipped out before she could stop them and truth be told, she didn’t want to stop them at all.

“I’m gonna marry her someday.” 

Asami glanced at her from the side of her eye, smiling to herself before turning back to the field and fixing her stare on Korra. She followed her around for a little while, eyes never once leaving her familiar form that she’d fallen in love with so many years ago. 

Then it hit her. It was just a small freckle of an idea, something that formed in the far back of her mind, but it was there, nonetheless.

_ Someday… _

* * *

 

Korra managed to catch a breather ten minutes before the end of the match. She glanced up at the large tv panel on the far side of the field, grinning at the numbers. She couldn’t decide what made her feel better - the fact that they were still in front by one goal that she, according to the statistics, assisted, or the fact that the game would last another ten minutes. Plus what the referee decides to add but judging by the fact that there were no major stops, it wouldn’t be much. 

She’d just turned around to help out the defense a little when one of their teammates sent the ball flying towards her. She caught it expertly in mid air, stopping it with her shoulder as she let it fall to her feet and then hurried towards the enemy goal once again, passing by the centre spot and dribbling around one of the enemy players. The girl shouted a profanity after her but Korra couldn’t be bothered to pay attention, she was already rushing towards their goal and she could see it, another opportunity, just like the first one, waiting for her to take it. 

One moment she was running, the next she noticed Kuvira rushing towards her from the side, with a look in her eye that meant nothing but trouble. Korra thought about running to the other side but another enemy player was already running there as well and she had no one to pass to, at least not in her line of sight. So she swung or at least she tried to but before her foot could even connect with the ball, Korra was falling over, stumbling on her side as she felt a body slam right into her, roughly pushing her on the ground. 

She was on the grass before she even knew what was happening and the weight pressing over her chest managed to push out all the air out her lungs. She opened her eyes, clutching the grass in her hands, trying to breathe but nothing happened. Then the weight disappeared and she managed to finally breathe in. It wasn’t until a minute or so later that she realized Kuvira had slammed into her in full force, knocking her over with no intent of taking the ball from her. She simply wanted to slam her into the ground, as if it were a rugby match, rather than football. 

“Come on,” She hear Kuvira grumble and saw her extend a hand, “Get up princess.” 

Her chest hurt, her shoulder hurt even more and from the side of her eyes, she caught sight of Rox running towards them, flailing her arms. It was all too much, too sudden, too soon. She collapsed back on the ground, trying to catch a few more breaths, before she tried to sit up again, this time with Rox’s arms around her shoulder, holding her steady. 

“You ok?” Rox murmured close to her ear as she helped her walk over to the sidelines.

“Y-Yeah… I think I am. My shoulder hurts.” Korra mumbled, holding her arm and taking in long, desperate gulps of air. Her chest still hurt a bit, but the pain in her shoulder was slowly becoming far worse. 

The coach and her helpers were next to her in a minute and their medic had her sitting down before she could protest. Rox had to go back to the game but not before fist-bumping Korra once more with a smile. 

“You did great,” Rox said before running off. 

Kuvira was sent out with a red card and another player brought in to substitute Korra. The medical staff concluded that she pulled a muscle but other than that, she was fine. The match ended with them winning the game but despite that, Korra, once again, had a nagging feeling in her gut and an awful lot of pain in her chest. Only this time, it wasn’t physical.

* * *

 

“I am going to kick that bitch’s ass!” Asami shouted from her seat with Iris’ arms around her. The second the referee blew the whistle for the end of the match, Asami was running down to the changing rooms, ignoring everyone and everything on her way. 

She’d hoped to see Kuvira so she could punch a hole through her face but she didn’t exactly expect to literally run into her. 

“Whoa, watch it!” Kuvira all but growled before she realized who she’d run into. “Oh. Look who’s here.”

“You piece of shit.” Asami stepped in close, staring into Kuvira’s eyes. “Who the hell do you think you are?” 

“Do you have a problem with me miss Sato?” Kuvira grinned at her and leaned back against the wall, crossing her arms. “Whatever did I do to deserve your rage?” 

“You’re really something, aren’t you? Don’t you think you’ve done enough to her already? Do you have to try and ruin her career now as well?” Asami jabbed a finger in her chest before she stepped back, letting her hands fall down to her sides. “If you ever try to hurt her again, I swear I’ll-”

“You’ll what, miss Sato?” Kuvira’s grin seemed to widen with her words and Asami bristled with anger, her fingers clenching in fists.

She was so consumed with it that she failed to notice that the rest of the players had started coming out of their changing rooms, Korra among them. She only realized it when she felt a warm hand slip around hers and gentle fingers laced with her own. 

“Asami, don’t.” Korra murmured beside her, leaning into her with her healthy arm. “She’s not worth it.” 

Kuvira opened her mouth so say something but Korra spoke again.

“She never was.” 

Silence welcomed her words and when, moments later, Kuvira turned around and walked away, Asami felt a weight drop from her chest. A weight that she didn’t even know was there but she felt it being lifted, as if it were a feather. 

“Are you okay?” She whispered against Korra’s lips as she pulled her close, gently and carefully. 

“I’m alright,” Korra smiled into a kiss, “That felt good.” 

“It looked good too.” Asami grinned.

“No I… I mean this. Saying that to her. Getting closure and all that crap.” 

“Oh, that.” Asami murmured, leaning her forehead against Korra’s. “Feeling better about it now?” 

“The best.” Korra said, pressing her lips against Asami’s once more. “Come on, let’s go home.” 

“Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally, now we can move on to more fluff


	37. Rox's Wedding (Part One)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> so we decided to post this as part one because we haven't gotten to the actual main event yet and we've no time to write right now, so at least something for everyone. enjoy! -kitty

It was a week after the season ended and Korra was just starting to get bored with the whole “not having training or games or practice to prepare for” routine part of the off season when she got a phone call.

“Hey Rox, you miss me kicking your butt already?”

“Uh… no. I don’t miss you trying too hard,” she responded.

“Oh ha ha. What did you need?”

“I was hoping you were available to get a drink? Or drinks?”

“Yeah, sure, just give me like twenty minutes and I can meet you at the usual place?”

“Yeah, yeah. Thanks. And… I hope you don’t mind, but can you come by yourself?”

“Jesus Rox, this is starting to sound serious.” Korra joked on the other side.

“I mean, it’s a little serious. But not… not like I’m sure you’re thinking. Look, I’ll explain when I see you.” Rox quickly ended the conversation and Korra’s mind started wandering the moment she put her phone away. 

Korra was at the bar waiting for Rox with a drink in her hand when Rox showed up a few minutes late and walked right up to her with the biggest, most obnoxious grin on her face.

“Were you late because you were getting laid?” Korra asked, even though the tone of her voice could have pretty easily been considered a statement, rather than a question.

“Well…”

“Oh my god, Rox… I just... hope you had a shower.”

“Really Korra.” Rox deadpanned. 

“I’m just sayin’.” 

“ Anyway. Guess what.”

“What?” Korra mumbled before bringing her glass to her lips.

“I’m engaged.” Rox’s grin widened, if that were actually possible and Korra spluttered out the sip she’d taken, cheeks reddened from almost choking, even though her lips were spread in a huge smile

“Wait… What... Rox holy shit!”

“Yeah…” Rox broke into another huge grin. “Iris proposed last week.”

“Last week? Last week?! You’ve been engaged for a week and you didn’t tell me? You’re the worst friend ever!”

“Korra! Please! I was preoccupied!”

“I bet you were!”

“I’m sorry! I didn’t know that there was such a thing as an appropriate time to inform people. Shit, my parents don’t even know.”

“Rox, I’m sorry. I’m just giving you a hard time,” Korra said before pulling her into a warm, long hug and smiling when Rox started whining about her crushing embrace. “I’m so happy for you.”

“Thanks,” Rox beamed. “So… Korra… I don’t have a lot of friends… Would you… be my… best man? Best lady? Wingwoman?”

Korra smiled. “I think it’s called maid of honor.”

“That… Just doesn’t fit your image?” Rox tilted her head, eyeing Korra with a raised eyebrow before she shook her head and quickly added, “And can you just answer the question? This is hard enough for me as is, you don’t have to make me even more nervous. Jeez.”

“Of course! Of course I’ll be your best man, what kind of best man would I be if I didn’t tease you mercilessly?” Korra grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her into another tight embrace.

Rox only responded by sighing heavily.

“So. Your bachelorette party,” Korra mused, “how do you feel about strippers?”

At this point Rox’s sighs turned into open groans.

“Ok, my first duty as best lady, is I want details. Come on! Share!”

Rox didn’t have the willpower to try and be coy, she was just so damn excited and her heart felt like it was bursting.

Korra was all ears, perched on the bar, leaning on her elbow and smiling goofily at Rox.

“It was the day after our last game, and Iris was up early and she was gone most of the day, which happens because surgeon, so I wasn’t too worried, but then she’s not back to our apartment, well her apartment. Anyways, she’s not back at her usual time, so I’m starting to get a little worried, and lonely, so I called her. If she’s stuck in surgery or something she just doesn’t answer, so when she answered and blew me off I got real concerned.” Rox finally paused long enough to get her breath back. “So she eventually comes home late and looks all tired and shit and says she needs a real long bath after a really crappy day at work. Being the amazing girlfriend that I am I offer to go pick up some food from her favorite place for dinner. I go out to get it and the whole trip is one disaster after another. It takes me over an hour to get back to Iris’ place and when I get back there are candles on basically every surface of her place and I’m stunned. I literally stood there gaping like a fish. Iris is standing there and she fucking sweeps me inside and closes the door, kisses me in the most amazing kiss I’ve ever had,” Korra awed while Rox didn’t even notice, too enraptured by her own story, “and before I can even ask her what the hell is going on she puts this little box in my hand, is on her knees and I can barely see because I know what’s happening and I’m bawling like a baby. It was and cute and adorable and oh my god it was so sweet.”

“Wow,” Korra breathed. “I feel like I should be taking notes.”

“Maybe you should. But if you aren’t in love with Asami enough to come up with something that fucking amazing on your own… well you’re doing it all wrong.”

“Hey, I’m doing just fine!  _ We’re  _ doing just fine! I’m in love with Asami plenty.”

Rox smiled. “Whatever you say kid.” There was a tone to her voice that sounded like she was imparting wise, sage advice.

“Oh shut up,” Korra shot back. “You’re barely older than me! And I’ve been dating Asami for longer than you’ve been dating Iris!”

Rox put a finger on her nose. “Exactly.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all.”

It wasn’t the first time Korra thought about proposing to Asami, she’d thought about marriage plenty of times by now. It was always something that was on her mind more often than not, but in the future. A ways away. And now Rox had planted the idea deep in her head and Korra suddenly felt a whole lot of new, conflicting feelings. Now Korra was thinking,  _ wondering _ if she was wasting her time. Was she stalling? Holding on to what she’s got because she’s afraid to go forward with what could be? But she’s not afraid, she’s excited and exhilarated and marriage is something she’d gladly jump into, if it’s Asami who she would get to spend the rest of her life with. And Korra already knew she wanted to spend it all with Asami. 

Shit. 

Now Korra really wanted to propose to Asami.

So she ordered more bourbon. 

The thought was massive, it was overwhelming in its consequence and magnitude. And it is totally, absolutely the right thing to do. Maybe not right this moment, but in a day, two - three. She just had to figure out a way to do it.

Korra ordered another bourbon.

It’s not like Asami wasn’t having the same thoughts elsewhere. With Korra out helping with the wedding, Asami’s mind had been consumed with thoughts of possibly marrying her. She’d been having them ever since Iris mentioned her intention to propose, and the feeling only doubled, quadrupled when the proposal actually went down.

And she was having the same fears. Was it too soon? Too late? Was Asami afraid that the next step would push Korra away?

Despite it being the end of the year for Korra, everything was still super busy. Busy for the both of them.

Work was pulling Asami in too many different directions, then there were the holidays and all that stuff. And shit, she wanted to marry Korra, she really did. But there just didn’t seem time for it to be right. There wasn’t time to do it right.

For Korra it was almost the opposite. She had plenty of time, she started getting bored with her days off between seasons. She still worked out. The thing Korra spent most of her time doing (apart from thinking how best to propose to Asami) was doing charity work, helping out wherever she could, particularly working with school kids. So her time was occupied but she wasn’t exactly busy.

And then there was the wedding Korra had to help with.

Being involved with a wedding like this was something totally different to her. There was so much planning to go through.Stuff she had to accompany Rox to. Things to arrange, people to meet, more stuff to buy. A tuxedo fitting with Rox. Multiple tuxedo fittings.

Then she had to go to her own fitting. Rox wanted her side of the bridal party to be in tuxes and Iris’ side to be in dresses. Damn did Korra work that tux well.

And what a tux it was. Dark grey, and cut to perfection.

Asami certainly loved seeing Korra in it. More importantly, she loved taking it off Korra, the few times Korra actually graced her with walking around the house in it.

It’s not like the whole wedding preparations thing was terribly easy. Not by a long shot.

Iris wanted a spring wedding, right when everything is new and green and more importantly right before the season started so that Rox and her could get married and have their honeymoon and not have to miss a single practice. Which was a very Iris thing to do. But also meant that they had a very limited amount of time to get everything settled for the wedding.

And Rox wanted to tell her parents.

In her mind, even though they’d thrown her out and all but abandoned her, she wanted them to know, she wanted to show them that not only did she make it without them, that she found someone without them, someone better. And maybe, just maybe, they’d reconcile. She didn’t think it was possible for her parents to get over being such assholes, but Rox wanted to give them one last chance.

* * *

 

It went slightly better than Rox had expected.

There wasn’t any yelling or condemnation or crying. Just a simple statement of facts. And Iris there holding her hand through it all.

Rox didn’t see it, but the entire time Iris was staring daggers at Rox’s parents. She knew more of Rox’s home life than the girls who grew up with her. Iris didn’t say anything, but she said enough with her eyes, just waiting for the old couple to say something to try and ruin Rox’s good mood.

For the first time ever, they said nothing, did nothing. Just accepted the news and let Rox and Iris go without another word.

Granted, it went fine, but somehow Rox was still left disappointed. Even more so than before. She wanted, it turned out, to go back to being a family again with her parents. Despite that part of her being small and often disappointed, it was still hard to face that disappointment once again.

And Iris was there to pick her up, to soothe those old wounds, and help Rox through it, as she promised to be for the rest of her life.

Yet it was Korra who had to help Rox with the rest of it, the doubts she had, the ones she didn’t know if she could tell to her  fiancée .

A couple of days later, Rox and Korra were at their usual place, having drinks and grumbling about stuff when Rox finally spoke up with honesty.

“Fuck Korra it was horrible,” Rox told her. “It was awkward and tense and just the goddamn worst.”

“I’m sorry Rox.”

“Fuck them, it’s fine. I’m over it.”

“Then why are we here?” Korra asked, gesturing the seedy little bar they were at. “On a Wednesday night, at midnight?”

“Because I’m having doubts.”

“Doubts? About what?”

“This whole getting married thing.”

“Rox. You can’t be serious.”

“I am.” Rox hung her head low.

“About what? You can’t be doubting Iris or anything like that. She’s so in love with you it isn’t even funny.”

“It’s not about Iris, she’s… she’s too good for me. She’s out of my league, I shouldn’t be wasting her time.”

“What are you talking about? How are you wasting her time?”

Rox downed a shot. “I’m gonna turn into my parents. I can fucking feel it. I’m gonna be this old, miserable piece of shit. I’m going to turn into this obtuse, uncompromising piece of shit like them. I can’t do that to her. I don’t want her to wake up when she’s forty and find that she’s wasted the last fifteen years of her life with this piece of shit who’s turned into this waste of space that fucking hates everyone and everything and just sucks the joy out of everything around them. I won’t do that to her.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Korra groaned loudly before her voice grew sharp and strong. “Rox. Listen to me. You are the most selfless person I’ve ever met. I don’t think you could ever turn into this selfish piece of shit you think you will become. You don’t have a selfish bone in your goddamn body. It is actually a bit of fault really. You are totally completely unable to put anyone else after yourself. You are just the most selfless person ever. I’m repeating myself, because I’m drunk. But you can’t become that person. And you know how I know that? Because Iris wouldn’t give you a second look if you weren’t nearly as selfish as you seem to think you are. Iris is an excellent judge of character. And trust me, she loves you. And you’re going to be the best you can be. Because you  _ loooove  _ her. And you’re going to do everything you can for her, you’re going to put her first, you are going to do everything you possibly can, and probably do more than you should be doing because that is who you are. And Iris knows it.”

“You sure?” Rox asked, still asking for that small bit of reassurance she so desperately needed.

“Absolutely. And if you do turn into a selfish prick like you think, I’ll just beat it out of you.”

Rox finally cracked a smile. “Thanks Korra.”

“Any time.”

“You’re the best best man ever.”

“Aww, don’t get soft on me now Roxana!”

Rox continued to smile. “I don’t promise any such thing.”

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yeah, yeah I think I am.”

“Good. Now I do have something to talk to you about.”

“What?”

“I want to throw you a proper bachelorette party.”

“Ugh, do I have to?”

“Yeah, come on it’ll be fun!”

“Fine.”

“There’s gonna be a lot of familiar faces there, loads of booze, pizza and of course, most importantly, we’re getting a stripper.”

“Absolutely not.” Rox tried to stare at her seriously but her blurred vision didn’t really help all that much.

“Sure we are.” Korra nodded, mostly to herself. 

“No!”

When Korra finally stumbled back to her apartment later that night, Asami was waiting for her.

“How is everything? Performing your best man duties?” She murmured from their bed, turning to face Korra as she slipped under the covers.

“Yeah, and performing them admirably if I don’t say so myself.”

“I knew you would be.”

“Asami?” Korra asked as she snuggled up to her in bed, “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“Are we good?”

Asami turned around fully so she could face her girlfriend, her best friend, her lover, “Yeah. Of course we are. Why wouldn’t we be?”

“I just- I don’t know,” Korra mumbled. “I was worried that maybe you’d have wanted more out of our relationship or something by now.”

“Korra, I love you. You’re here, with me. We’re happy. What more do we need?”

“I… I don’t know. But I love you too.”

The conversation ended at that, but they both shared the same thoughts and if they could have read each other’s minds, things would have been  _ a lot _ easier. 

_ Shit, I need to propose. No, fuck that. I want to, I want to so badly.  _ Korra was sure her thoughts were all too loud.

_ She’s onto me. I am doing this as soon as possible.  _ And Asami was hoping her own thoughts were as silent as possible. Even though nobody could actually hear them. 

Unfortunately, neither of them really had much of an opportunity to propose because Rox’s wedding was getting closer and there was an unspoken agreement between Korra and Rox that Korra wouldn’t do anything to overshadow Iris’ big day.

And besides, Korra was throwing Rox the best bachelorette party ever.

The kind with booze and boobs. And it was bound to be super fucking awesome.

* * *

 

Everything seemed to be running smoothly throughout the whole day and Korra had no doubt the bachelorette party would be nothing short of awesome. Everything was going according to plan and by the time the last guest showed up at the bar, Korra was ecstatic. 

Unlike Rox who couldn’t stop squirming in her chair, glancing around nervously and constantly rubbing the back of her neck in her telltale nervous gesture. 

“Would you stop that, jeez, it’s just a stripper.” Korra grumbled as she sat down beside her, handing her a beer. “She won’t bite you, unless you tell her to.” 

Rox all but growled at that.

“Ok, ok, sorry,” Korra laughed before continuing, “I was just joking. She won’t do anything you don’t want her to, she’s just give you a lap dance and shed a few pieces of clothing.”

“Fine but does it have to be here, in public?” 

“What? Who told you we’re doing that here?” 

Rox tilted her head to look at Korra. “Aren’t we?” 

“God no, do you want us banned from the bar?” 

“Well where  _ are _ we doing this?” 

“Well my place, of course. Now come on, drink up, the rest of the party is moving and you’re coming with!” 

Korra quickly hopped off her chair and hurried to a couple of her teammates, joining in on their heated discussion. A couple of minutes later she was laughing and shoving them all out the door, paying the whole tab and rushing after them as they all got into their cars and sped to her and Asami’s apartment. 

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.” Rox grumbled as they walked out of the car and made their way towards the apartment.

“I didn’t talk you into it, I said I’m doing it and I’m doing it.” Korra grinned at her, lips widening when Rox glared back.

“Please, for the love of god, tell me  _ you’re _ not the stripper.”

“Oh god no. Why would you think that?”

“The weird way you just said you’re doing it.”

By the time all the guests were settled at the apartment, the music turned on loud enough for three neighbouring buildings to hear and drinks handed off to everyone, it was well around midnight. Korra was having a little trouble keeping up with everyone’s drinking, but she had a party to take care of, and everything had to be perfect. 

When the clock struck midnight, Korra stood up, grabbed her phone, dialed a number and simply said “Hi, it’s time,” before handing out one more round of drinks and giggling when everyone started whispering and chuckling about the stripper. 

Rox, on the other hand, was way too anxious to function properly, but then Korra started shoving her towards the guest bedroom, followed by everyone else and until she was seated on the bed, groaning and rolling her eyes, Korra wouldn’t leave. When she did leave though, Rox found herself mildly panicking in the dark room, with nothing but two candles lit on the night stand. 

She could have easily turned on the light, but Korra made such a huge effort and in all honesty, Rox would have felt a little bad if she ruined even a small bit of the whole charade. So she played her part, she leaned back a little on the bed, supporting herself on her elbows, and waited patiently and staring at the door. The moment the knob started turning Rox’s heart seemed to have jumped to her throat. It wasn’t that she was in any way all too excited about this - it wasn’t Iris, for god’s sake. 

But then the person, clearly a woman, inched closer, her face hidden beneath the large hoodie she had on and the closer she got, the more nerve-wracking this whole ordeal was. 

The woman only moved aside to place her phone on the table in the corner, pressing a button and letting the room fill up with the sound coming from it. The song started slow, with a distinct rhythm that the woman immediately began swaying to as she slowly made her way to Rox. Her hips moved in time with the loud bass beat and as the vocals began seeping through the air, she moved her arms in fluid motions along with the music, stepping closer to Rox with each step she took. 

Rox still couldn’t see her face, partially because of the hoodie haphazardly drawn over it, and partially because the woman seemed to be looking away most of the time. When she stepped fully close, Rox was sure she caught a waft of perfume that was all too familiar but then the woman’s hands moved down her sides and to her front, fingers catching on the zipper of her hoodie as she began peeling it off. When the sides petaled open, Rox could see a gorgeously tight tank top, before a very familiar, very beautiful face came into sight when the fabric of the hoodie fell away from the woman’s face.

Rox’s eyes shot up the very same instant. 

“Iris?!” 

But Iris didn’t let herself be distracted. The hoodie fell away and she threw it to the side, pressing a finger to Rox’s lips with a coy smirk, and turning around to roll her hips and run her hands smoothly down her sides. When she turned back around the look in Rox’s eyes was something entirely different from the nervous one she first had when Iris walked in, and judging by the way Rox’s eyes seemed to trace every single, even the smallest, movement, Iris knew Rox was now enjoying it just as much as she’d anticipated. 

Iris’ tank top came next, just as she toed out of her ankle high boots and pushed them aside, hips swaying all the while. The song moved to the chorus and Iris settled on Rox’s legs, turning away from her and pressing her hands to Rox’s thighs as her body moved to the rhythm of the song. Iris let herself lean into Rox as much as possible, just till Rox moved to slide her arms around her waist. 

Iris was back up on her feet and working on her shirt, shaking her head with a smirk at the pout on Rox’s lips. While the song slowly progressed, Iris’ tight, figure-hugging jeans came off next and when she finally found herself in her underwear - her very sexy, lacy black underwear, Rox noted - she was straddling Rox with her legs on each side and her fingers leading a slow, teasing trail up to Rox’s shoulders. When they finally settled in Rox’s hair, Iris changed her motions, from a slow roll to an even slower, torturously lazy grind that seemed to make all the blood in Rox rush straight between her legs. 

They both missed the moment when the song transitioned into an entirely different one because somewhere along the way, Iris leaned down and captured Rox’s lips in a slow, languid kiss and they ended up making out with so much passion and heat that the rest of the world seemed to fade out completely. 

Or at least it would have, had it not been for Korra and her frantic banging on the door about an hour later, followed by her loud voice booming through from the other side and the laugher of the rest of the guests when she yelled that they’re not leaving the apartment until the sheets are clean and pristine. 

It sure was one heck of a bachelorette party. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> who knew iris could dance well.


	38. Rox's Wedding (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one's all on Bourbon 'cause I've been lazy and busy and just overall not in the chapter. He did an amazing job tho :3

It seemed like the bachelorette party was just yesterday instead of two weeks ago. And yet here it was the wedding.

And Korra had done plenty of work on her end to make sure it was the wedding of the year.

“Here we are,” Korra said in the little changing area Rox had off to the side. “You ready to do this? Ready to marry the lady you love more than anything in the whole world?”

Rox didn’t answer at first, just adjusted her black tie and vest in the mirror. “Yeah. Yeah I’m ready.”

“Let’s do this,” Korra said as she put a hand on Rox’s shoulder. “Your bride awaits.”

Rox just smiled, the same smile she had and couldn’t shake for the last hour or so.

She took her spot in front of the in altar, in front of the minister or the justice of the peace or whatever they were called. To Rox’s left was Korra and a couple of girls from the team, all in their dark grey tuxes. To her right was the gap where Iris would be shortly and the line of girls from Iris’ work all in green dresses.

Rox’s heart was beating a thousand times a minute.

Iris’ was calm and steady. She was about as ready for this as she was for surgery. But that didn’t mean that she wasn’t nervous, she was more nervous for this than anything else she’s ever done.

The music started up, and Iris took a deep breath then walked forward.

Even from the audience Asami couldn’t help but think that everyone looked so damn beautiful.

The church they were in was great, the brides looked amazing, Korra…. Good fucking god did Korra look good at the altar with her tux. She couldn’t help it, her mind immediately wandered. How would Asami do this? How would she marry Korra?

She really should marry Korra. And soon.

Iris walked up to Rox, in her immaculate and pristine white dress.

“Hey there pretty lady,” Rox whispered as she grabbed Iris’ hands.

“Hey there yourself,” Iris whispered back. “You’re lookin’ good.”

Rox was smiling, and she felt her eyes starting to water. No, she wasn’t supposed to cry today, not on the happiest day of her life.

“It’s ok,” Iris whispered. “I feel the same way.”

Rox couldn’t tell you what the minister said if you paid her all the money in the world.

She was too busy. Too busy trying not to cry so openly, and too busy stealing glances at Iris, beautiful, heavenly Iris.

Finally though it came time for the vows. Like everything else Rox did, she did this on her own.

With Korra handing her the paper, her hands shaking, and her eyes watering Rox had a hard time reading off her vows.

“Iris,” she said. “I love you. I vow to love you for as long as I can, for as long as you want me. I vow to be there whenever you need me: early mornings, middle of the night. I vow to put your needs, your wants, you, before myself. No matter the situation. Hell or high water. No matter what. Do you…” At this point Rox was smiling, utterly failing to keep from crying, and trying to find her voice. “Do you..”

“Yes,” Iris cut her off, also unable to keep her smiles and tears at bay.

Korra handed Rox the ring to slip on Iris’ finger. It was simple platinum ring, pure, elegant, beautiful.

Then it was Iris’ turn. 

“Roxana,” She said through the smile and the free falling tears. “I love you. I vow to be everything you need. I vow to be your family, your home. I’ll love you now and forever. I vow to be with you for everything. All of the ups and downs, all of our defeats. I vow to love you, unconditionally, for as long as I can. Do-”

“Yes,” Rox said, practically jumping at the chance to say the word.

She barely noticed Iris slipping the ring on her finger because she knew what was coming next.

“I now pronounce you-” the minister said, but Iris was too lost in Rox’s eyes to listen, and Rox was too busy shaking in anticipation of the next words. “Wives.”

Rox didn’t bother waiting for the cue, she couldn’t wait.

She pulled Iris close to her and in front of an entire room full of people, kissed her wife.

There was applause and cheering and Korra yelling, “Hell yeah!” but neither of them noticed. For that one moment, there was nothing else besides just the two of them. Rox and Iris. Together now, together forever.

After a second, the two women finally broke apart and turned to smile at their audience. And sure enough, Iris’ family clapped and yelled in joy.

Both of them held hands and smiled and could barely contain themselves as they walked down the aisle together and went into the waiting limo that would take them to the reception.

At least for now Korra’s duties were finished. So of course the second Rox and Iris were out of the building she ran down to Asami.

“You’re looking mighty fine,” she told her as she approached.

Korra still blushed a little. Despite how many times Asami tells her, Korra is always caught a little off guard.

“Hey Asami. You’re very snazzy as always.”

Asami smiled. “I love you, you dork.”

“I love you too.”

“How much time do we have before the reception?”

“About two hours,” Korra said. “We’ve got the pictures and such before hand, so we should probably get there early.”

Asami pouted a little bit. “Awww, I was thinking of some ways we could spend two hours.”

“Jeez Asami! You’re insatiable. We’re staying in the hotel the reception’s in! We’ll have plenty of time for that later!”

Asami, while Korra was talking had wound her hand in her tie. “I certainly hope so,” she said as she pulled Korra in for a kiss.

“We should probably get ready to go for the pictures,” Korra said after a second.

“I think we’ve got some time.”

“Why?”

“If that was us,” Asami said, and both of them pictured the other up on the altar looking radiant, “what do you think we’d be doing in that limo?”

Instantly, Korra’s mind turned dirty.

Asami saw the look on her face, “Yeah. Yeah we would.”

* * *

 

Despite all of the temptations along Korra’s path (namely from Asami) they made it to the picture location not only on time but looking made up and not at all disheveled. That, however, could not be said for Rox and Iris.

“What took you too so long?” Korra teased.

Rox was having trouble adjusting her askewed bow tie. “Here’s free tip for when you finally get the balls to marry Asami: going down on a lady in a wedding dress is a hell of a lot harder than you’d think.”

“Holy shit! I did not need to hear that Rox.”

“Korra.. Help me with this stupid tie.”

“Oh my god,” Korra said as she went to fix Rox’s tie. “You’re kind of my hero.”

“Doing what I can,” Rox muttered. “Taking one for the team.”

“Yeah, like that was on your mind the entire time, ‘how can I help Korra?’”

“Well after all those years of coaching and you’re still not better than me on the field, I can’t help if my constant attention to your lack of skills has invaded my everyday.”

“I’m so going to beat you one of these days.”

Rox smiled. “Well, until then I’m going to go take pretty pictures with my  _ wife. _ ”

Korra smiled, yeah just a hairline smile. Because the teasing was all in fun, but jesus did Rox know exactly where to needle her to spur her into action. And it was now more than ever did Korra realize that she really really needed to marry Asami.

Not just because Rox was egging her on. No, because Asami was fucking perfect. She was amazing and beautiful and utterly devastating in all the right ways. Asami was with her when she needed her and didn’t run away when Korra ran from her. No matter how Korra seemingly sabotaged their relationship in the past, Asami was right there putting up with, or calling her on, her shit.

Asami was the perfect woman and she was the light of Korra’s life, her entire world, and she really needed to marry her ASAP.

But she couldn’t do that to Rox, at her own wedding. It would be just plain rude. And frankly, not nearly enough for Asami deserves. 

No she could wait the day afterwards. Or maybe after the reception when they were in the hotel room.

No. Definitely not romantic enough.

Shit. Well, Korra had some time to figure out a good romantic proposal. Maybe she should look into doing one of those song and dance proposals she’s seen on youtube.

Either way, she successfully navigated Rox through pictures and into the reception.

Dinner went by without a hitch.

And then came Korra’s main duty.

Sure she held on to the ring and the vows, but a trained monkey could do that. She even showed up to look good in a tux, but Korra was a firm believer that  _ anyone _ looked good in a tux so that wasn’t even that difficult.

Now, post dinner, pre-dancing, Korra had to give a speech. A best man speech.

She cleared her throat and stood up. “Hey everyone, I’m Korra. If you didn’t know. I’m Rox’s best man, because, in her words, I’m definitely not a maid and I have no honor. So… Take that how you will.” She had a built in pause for laughter, and thankfully Iris’ “English soccer hooligan” side of the family laughed hysterically, while the French-Algerian side chuckled politely. “I’ve known Rox for, hell, almost a decade, by this point. And now I feel old as hell. But when I met her she was this scary, intimidating older girl. She was better than me, faster than me, stronger than me, and I had this weird irrational fear that she was gonna steal my best friend. In my defense, how could she not? Rox is perhaps the greatest human in the room. No joke. Seriously. I was an angsty little freshman in highschool when I met Rox. I was nothing but mean and hostile towards her. And do you know what Rox did? She called me on my bullshit. She made me face my hypocrisy and then can you guess what she did? She offered her help. Rox offered to help me train in soccer, the sport she’d been kicking my ass in for weeks. She had absolutely no reason to offer her help. She didn’t like me, I  _ hated  _ her. I was a freshman, she was a sophomore. There were more reasons for her to ignore me than to help me. But as I quickly learned, that is just how Rox is. She helped everyone, she’s actually the most selfless person I have ever met. There hasn’t been one moment in the eleven or so years I’ve known Rox that she hasn’t fought someone else’s battle or put someone else before herself or tried to make a difference in someone else’s life. Because that’s Rox. Iris, I hope you cherish what you have, because there is not a better friend you can have in this world than Roxana. And I don’t know if you’ve been given the speech yet, but as best man I feel like I have to look out for Rox, since she’s gonna be spending all her energy looking out for you: don’t you hurt her.”

Thankfully, Korra had the foresight to ask Iris about this line beforehand. So when Korra said that line Iris yelled out, “I won’t hurt her, I love her too much!”

And sure enough everyone cheered as the wives kissed each other.

Everyone pretended that they didn’t see Rox crying.

After all the food and speeches were finished, Korra ran over to where Asami was sitting and offered her hand.

“Miss Sato, may I have this dance?” Korra asked.

“Why of course Miss Nizhoni, I’d be delighted,” Asami responded.

As Korra lead Asami to the dance floor, she said, “I promised Rox that the dance floor would never be empty.”

“Oh a challenge,” Asami said, “ I think I can handle that.”

With one hand around Asami’s waist and another holding her hand, the couple danced elegantly to the first pair of slow songs, and the second that the DJ started playing more upbeat songs they started dancing with an infectious fervor.

Pretty soon the entire dance floor was crowded with people and Korra and Asami were sweating and laughing and utterly incapable of taking their eyes off each other.

Just as Asami was asked to dance by an absolutely adorable six year old boy, Korra decided it was time for more drinks. She pushed her way towards the one bar that was further away from the dance floor, in order to get some breathing room.

That was when she spotted him. An older gentleman, no older than her dad. His dark skin already starting to sag and show some deep wrinkles, his short hair already well into it’s greying stage.

For a second Korra didn’t recognize who it was, he looked so familiar.

And then it struck her: that was Rox’s dad.

She’d seen him before at a handful of high school functions, some soccer games that he only attended a sparse number of.

Immediately Korra went over to him. She didn’t know how Rox would take it, knowing the father she’d had such a disastrous falling out with had gate crashed her wedding.

She never got the whole story about what happened with Rox and her parents, she’d only ever heard snippets and vague allusions to a hurt that had started to scar over but not really healed. However, Korra didn’t need to know any of those things to suspect Rox wasn’t speaking to her family when the wedding party was all Korra’s teammates and Iris’ family flown in from Europe. No one from Rox’s side had shown up.

Korra ran over to intercept him, because of all days Rox didn’t deserve this on any given day, least of all her wedding day.

“Can I help you?” she asked in as much of an accusing tone as she could while being four vodka tonics deep.

“Uh, yes…” the old man said quietly, sounding already so defeated. “I believe my daughter got married today. I, uh, just wanted to give her this.” He held out a small package, badly wrapped in bright blue paper. “You’re… Korra? Right? You used to play with Rox in high school.”

“Yes I did. But I don’t think you should be here.”

Even as the words left her mouth, she knew it was the wrong thing to say. She should have been more tactful, she shouldn’t have utterly broken his spirit. He knew he wasn’t welcome and the words from Korra’s mouth only cemented it.

“I… I… Yes. I agree. But… can you just give this to Roxana please? And… and can you tell her that her father is sorry for everything?”

“I… yeah, I can tell her,” Korra said as she took the hastily wrapped gift.

Rox and Iris were nearby, greeting their guests and saying their thank yous when Rox spotted her father.

With Iris still holding her hand, Rox approached the two, “Dad. What are you doing here?”

The old man awkwardly rubbed his hands together, unable to look his daughter in the eye. “Roxana… I… You both look lovely.”

Iris said nothing, just tried to keep her glare in check, and not mentioning the fact that Rox’s grip on her hand was like a vice.

“I… just wanted to… there was… Some things were said before… and they were wrong… and… oh jeez…. Your mother doesn’t know I’m here. I wanted to drop off… your… your… wedding present.”

“Dad you didn’t have to,” Rox said, her grip still not letting up on Iris.

“No. No, I did have to. We wronged you. And… And… I wanted to see you,” he stammered his way through the little speech.

Korra handed Rox the little package.

“Thanks dad,” she said. Unable to believe that this was actually happened. “Did you want to stay, get something to eat?”

Iris was doing her best to bite her tongue.

“No, no, thank you, I should go though. Before your mother wonders where I went to.”

“Thanks dad,” Rox said once more.

Her father turned to go, but before he did, he pulled Rox into a tight hug. “I’m glad you’re happy.”

And then all of a sudden, Rox’s dad was gone again.

Iris was happy for her wife, but she wouldn’t say anything until later. She couldn’t let go the fact that Rox’s dad never actually apologized, and the fact that her mother was still very much against it, against her own daughter. No matter how hard she tried, Iris couldn’t let it go, not for herself but for the hurt in Rox’s eyes that she would never forget.

“Go ahead, you can open it,” Iris nudged her. “I know you want to.”

Rox offered a sheepish smile and tore open the paper and found in the little box an antique watch.

“It’s my dad’s watch… Well my grandpa’s watch. It was the only heirloom, the only thing my dad managed to keep from his family when they disowned him for marrying my mom and having me,” Rox said in awe.

Iris just smiled and brought her wife back to the dance floor, but only making a note to talk to Rox about the whole hypocrisy of her parents later.

But all thoughts of injustices done by Rox’s family were instantly banished when they started dancing slowly to a nice slow song, lost in each other’s eyes and embrace.

“Thank you,” Rox told her wife. “For being everything to me. For being there. For being my lovely wife. I love you, oh wife of mine.”

“Oh is that how it’s gonna be?” Iris said with a smile. “You just referring to me as your wife all the time?”

“Absolutely! How could I not? I’m so totally in love with you and we’re finally married. Why wouldn’t I want to call you my wife at every opportunity?”

“Jesus, you’re a dork,” Iris said as she kissed her wife. “A dork and my wife.”

Rox just grinned.

“Hey, lovebirds,” Korra said as she and Asami danced a little closer. “I think it’s about time for you to get out of here, don’t you? I believe you have an early flight tomorrow.”

“We’ll be fine Korra,” Iris responded. “But thanks.”

“I just figured you wanted to get up to your room, and bed,” Korra winked and Rox’s face instantly flushed.

Iris turned back to Rox and smiled, “The girl does have a point.. I do really want to get out of this dress.”

“Oh, uh, maybe we should get to the room then,” Rox responded. “Thanks everyone, but we should get going, we’ve got an early morning tomorrow!”

Before Iris could say anything, Rox picked her up and carried her blushing bride off the dance floor and into the hotel to the sounds of the entire party hollering and clapping.

The DJ played one more song for everyone to wind down to and then everyone else started heading back to their rooms or their cars and headed home. Korra and Asami were brought to the bar along with the rest of the bridal party. Someone said something about celebration shots, and victory shots, and Korra was realizing too late that Iris’ family were practiced drinkers and she wasn’t going to make it out of here without a massive headache.

Thankfully Asami was right there with her. And it was all the more fun because of it.

Somewhere around three in the morning the two of them finally stumbled into their hotel room and into the appropriately large bed.

“Hey, Asami?”  
“Mmm, yeah Korra?” she responded, nuzzling closer to her girlfriend in the hotel room bed.

“Asami…” Korra muttered again as she turned around to face her amazing and perfect big spoon girlfriend. 

“Mhm,” Asami nodded and made sure to lean into a kiss.

“I wanted… I wanted to ask you something,” Korra stared, but realized that it was the wrong time. Drunk, half-coherent and at three am was no time to propose to your girlfriend no matter how much you crave to say the words. 

“Ask me anything love.”

“Did you know that I love you?”

“Mhm,” Asami answered as she nuzzled closer to Korra. “And I love you too.”

No, it wasn’t the right moment. She needed to ask later, in the morning, with flowers and balloons and candles and in a fancy dress (or maybe a fancy tux). Asami is way too fucking amazing and classy for a lazy, semi-drunk, proposal in bed. It feels like cheating.

Korra realized she’s gonna have to do this right. Maybe start writing out a speech so she doesn’t get all blabby and rambly. That would be embarrassing. “Yeah, I proposed to Asami by rambling incoherently about my feelings for 25 minutes and then accidentally punching her in the face with the ring.”

FUCK!  
The ring! Korra needs a ring! Shit!

She wanted to give Asami that fancy ass ring and necklace combo her grandma Katara had but if she asked her mom for it the gig would be up, everyone would know, and the surprise would be utterly ruined.

Shit…

Engagement rings were a thing, right? She can get a special ring just for Asami just to propose with and then get her grandma’s ring to actually marry her with… Yeah, that sounds like a plan.

“Mmm, my Korra,” Asami said sleepily as she pulled Korra in close and finally descended fully into sleep.

“My Asami,” Korra whispered back as she enjoyed Asami wrapped around her for a moment before falling asleep herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So someone really needs to propose, amirite?


	39. Hushed words and...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> we're nearing the end of this long journey, folks.

“So have you popped the question yet?” Rox asked from her seat on the small bench, huffing out between words whenever her hand would come up with the rather large weight squeezed in her palm. She stretched her arm back down, watching the muscles contracting before she leaned more heavily on her other arm propped on her knee. “Well?” She grumbled, turning in Korra’s direction when nothing but silence welcomed her words. 

“Not… Yet…” Korra mumbled between short intakes of breath from her own bench, lying on it and lifting the bar with what looked like a whole lot of weights on it. 

“Seriously?” Rox all but dropped her weight down and glared in Korra’s direction. 

“I just-” 

“You just what? Korra, don’t tell me you’re actually doubting this.” 

“What?! No,  _ no _ . It’s just… I wanna do it perfectly. I want to remember it forever, I want her to never forget the moment I get down on my knee-”

“I’m sure she’s tired of that sight already.”

“Oh my god Rox.”

“What?” Rox simply grinned at her.

“Seriously, I want to do it right. I don’t want it to be anything less than perfect and it’s taking time, okay? I’m perfecting everything.”

“Wait, are you actually planning it out?” 

“Of course I am.”

“You’re joking.”

Korra pushed her weight up one more time before placing it safely on the handles above herself. “I’d never joke with this Rox, this means the world to me.”

“Oh my god you two are the biggest love-sick pups I’ve ever seen in my life… I mean, I’ve known you for so long, I should have known.”

“You really should have.” 

Rox huffed and leaned back in her seat, hands resting in her lap. “So, what have you got so far?” 

“Oh… Stuff.”

“Stuff? You’re gonna propose with stuff?”

“Special stuff.”

“Right, okay. So what kind of special stuff?” 

“Oh nothing big… Just a carefully selected park, a warm night that’s supposed to happen some time soon, with a clear night and the stars and the moon are out, and a band and there might be a trained dog involved…” Korra wandered off in her thoughts with a dazed smile splayed across her lips.

“You’re drooling.” Rox mumbled with a snort.

“Shut it, miss  _ I cannot stop talking about the woman I’m going to spend the rest of my life with _ .” Korra grumbled, sending a glare Rox’s way.

Rox huffed at her words. “Well if it ain’t the pot calling the kettle black.” 

Korra wanted to respond with something, anything, but she couldn’t help but grin at Rox’s words. She really did talk about Asami a lot. A whole lot. 

“So did I tell you how Iris dyed all my grey shirts black last week?” Rox mumbled through a laugh.

Korra joined in on the laughter, “Why doesn’t that surprise me at all?”

* * *

 

Korra was gonna do it that weekend, she really was. But a cold front had come in and made everything a bit too chilly.

Then the next weekend was too cloudy, too rainy, too miserable-looking outside to warrant going to the park.

Then Naga was too shaggy and had to get a haircut and then there was the bath incident.

Then the moon wasn’t full enough or the stars weren’t out just enough. The grass wasn’t green enough, the trees not swaying in the breeze enough.

Every time Korra really,  _ really  _ wanted to do it, something, anything, got in her way. There was never a moment perfect enough and another month rolled by, with the need to ask Asami that one question growing stronger with each passing day. But along with her need, Korra’s fears grew stronger as well. 

She didn’t fear rejection. Korra knew they’d always be together, married or not. But she feared she wouldn’t be enough, her brain raced with all the things she’d done wrong in her life and she couldn’t,  _ wouldn’t _ allow her life with Asami become a mistake in Asami’s eyes.

Asami, on the other hand, had her own fears and worries. 

Their relationship was nothing short of wonderful and Korra was as perfect as ever. Living with her, being together every moment they could, sharing those gentle, soft moments late in the night or early in the morning when life was still on hold just outside the comfort of their bed, was everything Asami ever wished for.

Aside from that one thing that was still missing. 

A ring on both their fingers. 

They hadn’t talked much about it but ever since Iris had begun talking about marrying Rox, and after all the fuss called their wedding, Asami couldn’t shake the need to call Korra her wife off her mind. She’d thought about it so many times in the past four months that even her work had started suffering and she actually had to call her father and ask for advice ‘cause she really didn’t know what to do with herself anymore. 

But when Hiroshi reassured her, when he told her that if she feels like she’s ready she should just ask, Asami knew it had to be sooner, rather than later. The latter seemed to win out in most situations though because the moment was never just right, no matter how much planning she put into it. 

Iris’ teasing had grown relentless and the more Asami thought about it, the sooner she wanted, needed to ask. The mere thought of it made her heart fill up with so much joy she could barely contain it. 

So her preparations for the ‘ask the big question’ day had come to an end and she was ready to finally ask Korra to be her wife on a perfect sunny Sunday, in their favourite park on one of their long walks. 

_ Tomorrow,  _ she reminded herself as she watched the way Korra moved around their apartment with ease, pushing past their giant polar bear of a dog and grinning when she met Asami’s eyes.  _ Tomorrow. _

“I made us dinner.” Korra murmured as she plopped down on the couch next to her carrying two plates of pasta, trying to shove Naga away. “You just ate you beast, stop trying to steal our food.” 

The giant dog whined but Korra’s unwavering stare was enough to stop her from pushing her nose in their food. 

“Thanks love.” Asami murmured and took hold of her own plate and leaned over to press a kiss to Korra’s cheek with a smile. “I love it when you cook dinner in that lovely little Italian place just down the street.” 

“Shhh.” Korra chuckled before swiping a mouthful of pasta with her fork and all but shoving it in her mouth. She moaned at the first bite and Asami suddenly had to shift in her seat because the sound, as non-sexual as it may have been, stirred something far too familiar inside her. 

“What do you say we go to our room and you get on the bed and I give you a nice, long massage as a thank you for this wonderful dinner?” Asami purred between bites. 

“Tha’ shounds ghreat,” Korra mumbled with a grin and a bit of sauce dripping down the corner of her lips. 

“Korra you’ve got a-” Asami didn’t bother finishing her sentence. She leaned over and pressed her lips to the corner of Korra’s mouth, making sure to catch the sauce with her tongue. When she pulled back she barely managed to suppress a grin when Korra’s eyes seemed to turn a few shades darker in a matter of seconds before her gaze flickered down to Asami’s lips then back to meeting her eyes. 

It wasn’t much of a surprise when Korra put her plate down on the coffee table just a minute later, mumbling how full she is, even if she did only have a couple of bites. She settled on her side, leaning on her elbow and her gaze set on Asami’s features. 

“So, about that massage.” 

Asami put her own plate down and moved over, mirroring Korra’s position with a smirk on her lips. “What about it?” 

“Well I’m feeling very sore…” Korra started but drifted off when Asami moved to straddle her, legs on either side of Korra’s and her fingers trailing over broad shoulders to tangle in brown locks. 

Korra opened her mouth to say something else but when she finally looked up to lock her gaze with Asami’s, words seemed unnecessary. They’d cared for one another so long, known each other for what felt like an eternity, and just one look was enough to convey everything that words never could. When Korra leaned up to press their lips together, Asami met her halfway and they kissed, gently, with a tenderness they both sometimes forgot about. But all those years without each other soon urged the kisses into something much deeper, something full of longing and belonging, and the heat that blossomed between them was nothing if not a searing, urging fire burning deep and strong within them. 

Hands moved quickly, pressed and squeezed, Asami’s nails traced teasing lines over Korra’s scalp while Korra ran her own over smooth skin of Asami’s hips before her hands wandered a little further and she settled them under slender legs. She pushed herself up and had them both off the couch in a matter of seconds, Asami barely had time to register what had happened when they were already half across the living room and rushing to their bedroom. Korra’s arms tightened when she pressed her against the wall, moaning out when Asami’s legs wrapped around her waist in a firm grip and she rolled her hips, grinding against toned muscles and shuddering each time she felt the much needed friction. 

The moment they stumbled in the bedroom and Asami managed to push the door shut with a swing of her arm, Korra hurried to their bed until her knees pressed against the edges and she all but tumbled over. She lowered Asami down gently but her lips never once left the heated skin of Asami’s neck, not even when her hands moved to lift the damned shirt up and over her head. The second it was thrown out of the way they met in another searing kiss, and then another, and another until everything outside their room was forgotten and there was nothing left but the two of them, bare and pressed tight to one another. 

It wasn’t until Korra had her fingers buried knuckle-deep in Asami, thrusting and curling to hit that sweet spot she knew so well, that Asami finally managed to catch her breath long enough to press her palms to Korra’s flushed cheeks and look at her,  _ really _ look at her and smile as she bucked further into her thrusts.

“I love you so much,” She mumbled through heaved breaths and stolen kisses, dragging her teeth over Korra’s lips, pulling her in and moaning into her mouth each time those skillful fingers curled so expertly inside her and the heel of Korra’s palm pressed against her as she rolled it with just the right amount of pressure to make Asami arch into her even more than she already had. Her fingers skated over damp, sweaty skin of Korra’s shoulders before she dragged her nails harsh and roughly over her shoulder blades, screaming out and throwing her head back when the fire burning low within her finally burst and her climax washed over her in waves after waves while Korra never once stopped thrusting, even if her pace did soften a little and her thrusts were gentler than ever with each passing moment. 

When Asami finally came to, she felt Korra’s teeth on her neck - there’d be marks, she knew, there always were - as Korra left warm, wet kisses all the way up over her chin until their lips met again. 

Korra chuckled when Asami pulled her leg over her own and switched their positions with such grace that it took her a moment to actually notice she was the one with her head down on the tousled covers with Asami’s leg pressed between her own and her gorgeous raven hair tickling her cheeks. She smiled and let her fingers slide over those slender arms until they were safely tucked in Asami’s hair. She gripped, hard enough to make her tilt her head, and pulled her down to press another kiss to her skin, just where Asami’s shoulder meets her neck. When they finally kissed once again, moments later, Korra murmured into Asami’s lips with a smirk playing on her own.

“I love you too, Asami.” 

They kissed for a long while, simply basking in each other’s warmth and the feel of skin on skin. But as soon as one of Asami’s hands treaded down to squeeze a wanting breast, Korra arched into the touch with a gasp. Fingers teased one nipple and Asami kissed her way down her neck, nipping and licking to the other breast until she could roll her tongue around a pert nipple and brush her teeth over it. She’d never get tired of the little whimpers that would escape down Korra’s lips whenever she did that.

As good as it felt to hear all the ways Korra could moan out, Asami ached to taste every inch of her heated skin that seemed to burn her tongue in the best of ways. So she moved lower, dragging her other hand to replace her mouth as her lips trailed lower and she made sure to dip her tongue in each crease of Korra’s sculpted abdomen, biting once or twice simply to feel her arching up and calling out her name.

When one of Asami’s hands followed the wet trail her lips had left, Korra threw her own hand over her head, gasping out when she felt feather-light touches skidding over her thigh and pushing her legs further apart. Asami had placed one of her legs over her shoulder and kept her arm over it, fingers teasing the sensitive skin of Korra’s hip. 

Korra could barely contain the moan that begged to escape her at the first touch of Asami’s tongue as it slid through the wetness between her legs. When she felt is circling her clit the moan finally escaped, throatier and louder than she’d expected. Asami stopped for a moment, but only to look up with a knowing smirk before her tongue was once again exploring the familiar warmth and slipping lower every once in a while to tease where Korra needed her the most. 

It wasn’t until Korra’s fingers had somehow strayed to tangle in Asami’s hair that Asami finally moved exactly where she’d wanted her all along. With her tongue buried as deep inside as possible, moaning and thrusting against each pulse of wetness she so eagerly lapped up. Korra tried to move, tried to buck her hips to earn herself just a little more friction but Asami pressed her arm around her leg and pushed her down, all but growling when a string of curses and pleading words began pouring over Korra’s lips. 

Minutes later, Korra came crashing over the edge with a scream and Asami’s tongue still inside her, until she had the strength enough to tug her up and onto herself with a lazy smile and shortened breaths. 

Asami settled in her embrace, head resting on Korra’s shoulder with her arm tucked under Korra’s own and the fingers of her free hand tracing circles over the reddened marks she’d left on a Korra’s skin not so long ago. 

“Well that was…” Asami started, tilting her head up to press a kiss to Korra’s chin, “Very nice, if I do say so myself.” 

Korra’s lazy smile curled into a grin. “I have to agree. I’d say we need to go for round two but-”

“Tomorrow.” Asami added, tucking her nose in the crook of Korra’s neck. “I just want to cuddle with you now.” 

Korra simply chuckled at her words. 

They spent the next hour in silence, only occasionally exchanging a few words, most of which were hushed i-love-you’s and endearments that left both their chests feeling warm. Sometime through the cuddling Asami moved to lay on her side, still only a breath away from Korra, with their fingers laced between them, both leaning over, here and there, to kiss and peck the other’s lips, cheek or nose. It was the warmest Asami had ever felt, and the safest Korra thought she could ever feel.

“I’ve been thinking,” Asami murmured as she moved to roll on her back, pulling her hand along with Korra’s to her chest and resting it there as she spoke softly, “We should go somewhere for a few days before your season starts.”

“That’d be great. I know we don’t get to see each other so much when the season is on so I wanna spend as much time with you as I can.” Korra settled on her side, leaning on her elbow with her head in her palm and staring at Asami. 

“Yeah.. But at least I get to fall asleep next to you every night.” Asami smiled at her and squeezed her hand. 

“That is the nicest part of my day.” 

“You’re a sap.”

“Your sap.” Korra grinned and leaned over, kissing Asami’s nose before leaning back in her spot. “Oh by the way, Rox told me to tell you that Iris has talked to the chief down at the hospital and it looks like he’s interested in those new designs you’ve been talking about.”

“Really?” Asami’s eyes all but sparkled at that.

“Yup. Call her tomorrow and she’ll tell you all about it, I’m sure.” 

“That’s so great, Korra, Future Industries could actually do so much good with that!” 

“I know, love.” 

“Oh my god I have to put all my ideas on paper in case I forget anything, and I need to have my engineers working on the designs right away, this is so big.”

Korra couldn’t help but smile while she stared for the next half hour as Asami talked so excitedly, turning to her with a smile as wide as the sun and pulling her over to kiss her every once in a while. 

At some point Korra stopped understanding what it was that Asami had been saying because her words took a turn somewhere Korra couldn’t really follow, with those big, fancy terms she barely ever heard and technical phrases that Korra didn’t really get but she listened nonetheless. She listened to the way Asami’s voice had gone a little higher every time she said how much they would be able to help people, or the way she actually squealed when a new idea hit her, even if it was three in the morning and they’d spent a significant number of past hours in bed. 

Korra took in the sight before her and it made warmth spread not only in her ribcage but through her whole being because Asami’s smile could light up the night sky and her eyes shone brighter than all the stars put together. And it was that light, that warm brightness that was always there, always welcoming, always comforting… always a home for Korra’s heart, a safe haven she knew she could always come back to. 

And somehow, Korra knew, she always would.

Asami waved her hands up in the air, pointing at imaginary things Korra didn’t really understand but one thing she did understand was the passion behind those words, the spark of hope and goodness and kindness in those brilliant ideas that seemed to reside in the depths of Asami’s wonderful mind. She understood, better than anyone, how beautiful Asami’s soul was and how truly lucky she is to be able to even be around her, let alone wake up to her every morning and press her lips to Asami’s whenever she feels like it, just ‘cause she feels like it. 

“But if we put silicone there instead of metal it could cut weight significantly and it would be so much easier to handle becau-”

“Marry me.” 

The words slipped out with a breath Korra didn’t really know she’d been holding but the moment she said them, she felt as if all the little tiny, broken pieces of herself she’d spent so long gathering had finally come together, and at that moment, nothing felt more right. 

“-but maybe we should go with plastic, it wou- wait. Korra, what did you just say?” Asami’s eyes widened when she finally registered what Korra had murmured next to her.

“Marry me.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	40. Yes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, my people, my lovelies - this is finally over.
> 
> (Kitty here) 
> 
> I cannot believe we've come to the end of this journey, after such a long time.   
> Over one hundred and fifty thousand words have been put into this story. Forty chapters. Over three hundred and eighty pages.   
> Whoa.
> 
> Before I actually post this, I'd just like you all to know that I've been working on this chapter for the past two months and it's by far the longest I've ever written (over 11k words) and I hope it will suffice for all the time you've had to wait for this but also for all the fluff you've been promised.
> 
> And also, I'd like to thank Bourbon for thinking up this wonderful fic and, out of all those amazing writers out there, asking me to co-author it. It's been a true pleasure and a wonderful journey. 
> 
> Enjoy :)

“Korra, sweetie, why are you pacing?” Asami murmured from her spot on the small bench set between two large wooden doors in the long hall with her hands folded on her knees, her bag tucked safely on the side. 

“I’m so nervous,” Korra mumbled and continued walking back and forth with hurried steps, occasionally slowing down to grumble something to herself or stare at the bleak, creamy-white wall as if there was something absolutely astonishing set up on it. There really wasn’t, at least nothing except some strange old stains here and there.

She stopped in her tracks soon after and turned to Asami once again, holding her hands behind her back. “Aren’t you nervous?” She mumbled, trying hard not to stutter out the words.

Asami looked up and her heart warmed at the adorable sight in front of her. Despite their rising nervousness, Korra was still trying her hardest to maintain an absolutely stoic image. Tiny twitches of her mouth and an occasional silent cracking of knuckles gave her away though Asami knew well enough just from watching her breathe. After so many years, she could figure her out from nothing but a short glance. 

“Of course I am,” Asami said with a smile, “But Korra, darling.” She sighed and leaned back, crossing her arms at her chest. Her lips curled in the faintest of smiles and when she was sure she had Korra’s full attention, she murmured again. “You’re going to make a hole in the floor from all that pacing.” 

A moment of silence enveloped them and for that moment, Korra looked like a deer in headlights before she burst into a fit of laughter, clutching at her side with one hand and holding on to the wall with the other. It took her a minute or two to calm down and she slid down next to Asami, placing her hand on Asami’s thigh, squeezing lightly.

“God, I’m such a wreck.” Korra mumbled and bumped their shoulders, leaning into Asami and tilting her head to inhale her scent. “Tell me it’s all going to be okay.” She whispered and closed her eyes when Asami’s fingers slipped between her own.

“It’s all going to be okay.” Asami said and pressed a kiss to Korra’s forehead, lingering for a moment. As she pulled back she entwined their fingers more firmly and pulled Korra’s hand into her lap. She inhaled and ran her thumb over Korra’s knuckles lightly before speaking again. 

“I know you want this but if you’re not sure, I mean completely sure because Korra, this is it, okay, no going back and I need you to be really sur-”

“I’m sure.” Korra mumbled into Asami’s neck before pressing a kiss there and pulling away. Their eyes met and she smirked before a look of horror crossed her features. “What I’m not sure about is how we’re gonna survive this.” 

Asami seemed to recognize her meaning immediately and she pulled her left hand away pressing it to her forehead with a sigh. “Oh god, I know, right?” 

“I mean, of course we’re not gonna say a word right away but at some point…” Korra groaned and gripped at Asami’s hand. “God, babe, how are we gonna break the news? This is gonna be so huge, they’ll eat us alive.”

Asami simply rested her hand in her palm, breathing slowly. After a while of silence and deep, long breaths, she lifted her head, running her hand through her hair.

“They’re gonna kill us, aren’t they?” 

Korra turned to her before pushing herself off her seat, “They are, yeah.” She leaned against the wall facing Asami and mumbled while shoving both her hands inside her pockets. “They’ll bite our heads off for this, I’m sure.”

Asami brought her free hand to her face, effectively hiding all of it in her palms, and groaned slightly, the sound muffled and lost somewhere between the walls of the seemingly never-ending hallway they’d been in for a while. When she finally looked up, a long minute later, Korra could see weariness in her eyes, in the smooth lines of her cheekbones and the crinkles around her lips, but with it along came a feeling only Korra could understand, a warmth only recognized in those green irises and the small, barely-there, upturn of the corners of Asami’s lips. 

When Asami spoke again, her voice was lower than before, a little hoarse like she’d been crying, but still warm as ever. To a stranger, it’d have probably sounded strange and had there been anyone there besides Korra, they’d certainly think Asami had been crying. Korra knew her much too well for that, though, and the moment she recognized the little hints of amusement and jest in Asami’s voice, she smiled widely, cheeks hurting a little. 

“I honestly can’t decide who’ll yell at us more.” She grinned at Korra and moved to lean back once again, crossing her legs and resting her hands in her lap again. “Should we bet on it?” 

They’d both been so caught up in each other that they missed the two figures approaching them until a familiar voice broke their reverie. 

“What are we betting on?”

Rox was standing just a few feet away from them with her arm wrapped tightly around Iris’ waist, and the grin on her face was matching the one on Rox’s face. They looked like all newlyweds do - warmth seemed to seep out all around them, a sort of glow that made it obvious even to the most oblivious person out there that they’re in it for the long haul, with a ring and the vows and the whole shebang.  

Korra immediately moved away from the wall and Asami stood up, grabbing for Korra’s hand and clasping it tightly in her own, bumping their shoulders accidentally in the process and nearly stumbling over in her hurry. 

“Oh nothing, just how long we have left to live after all this gets out.” Korra drawled out, rubbing the back of her neck with her free hand and lacing her fingers with Asami’s tightly. “You know, people and their plans.” 

Rox chuckled and Iris slipped out of her embrace, not missing the chance to lean over and peck Rox’s pouting lips, before taking Asami by her arm and dragging her in for a hug and grinning at Korra from over Asami’s shoulder. 

“So I have an inkling why we’re actually here at five in the afternoon on a Saturday but I really want to hear both of you say it so let’s go, who’s gonna go first?” Iris smirked and pulled back, taking Rox’s hand. “How much time do we have?” 

Korra checked her phone, “About twenty five minutes.” 

Rox nodded, “Okay. Talk fast.” 

Korra pointed towards the bench and Asami stepped away mumbling, “I’ve been sitting here for a couple of hours, I think it’s best you two take the spot now.”

Iris only grinned at her and Rox settled down with her legs set one over the other and one arm thrown around Iris’ shoulders.  Korra and Asami took their places across from them, Korra back against the wall and Asami standing beside her with her arms crossed over her chest. 

“So uh, it finally happened,” Korra started, staring at the floor.

Rox all but groaned and Iris barely managed to suppress her laughter. “Oh come on, you’re not getting out with not even a full complex sentence. I want details.” Iris spoke, settling her hands in her lap. “Juicy details.” 

Korra sighed and Asami brought a hand up to her face once again, only this time to cover her cheeks instead of her eyes. 

The speech lasted fifteen minutes and by the end of it, Korra was a completely flustered mess and Asami was rambling, waving her hands around as Iris and Rox drank up every word. They both spoke through it, interrupting one another, adding more details when they remembered something and finishing each other’s sentences. 

“And that’s how I finally popped the question.” Korra mumbled, biting the inside of her lip. “So I guess you know why we called you here, right?” 

Iris smiled this time and Rox stood up to take Korra’s hand, shaking it firmly before she pulled her in a tight embrace, holding her close and patting her back. “I’m so happy for you,” She murmured, loud enough for all of them to hear, “Finally you silly fuck, finally.” She pulled back with a twinkle of tears at the corners of her eyes, hurriedly wiping at them with her sleeves. She watched Iris do the same with Asami before they switched places and Asami was in Rox’s arms, wrapped in a tight hug. “And I’m so happy for you too,” She whispered, “So very happy.” When they pulled back, both Asami and Rox had to wipe at their eyes, and both pretended they hadn’t. Iris and Korra snorted almost in unison.

Korra checked her phone again and sighed with a smile. “We’re up in five.” 

Asami’s eyes met hers and they shared a look, one that warmed their insides and made waves of shivers run down their spines. A look so profound and deep and honest, so knowing and complex and yet, so similar and open, one look that could easily say more than the whole Harry Potter series put together. A look that made them share a smile while they reached for each other’s hand, lacing their fingers and stepping close to one another.

“I guess it’s time.” Asami murmured. 

“Yeah.” Korra smirked, leaning in to press their lips together.

“Ahem,” Rox cleared her throat, eyebrow raised at them. 

Iris jabbed a finger at her ribs, whispering something in Rox’s ear and Korra used the distraction to press her lips to Asami’s just like she’d intended, smiling when Asami pulled her lip between her teeth and dragged her in for a hug. 

Rox grumbled from the side, mumbling something about being late, but they both just raised a middle finger in Rox’s general direction, much to Iris’ amusement, and went back to their own little world, enveloped in one another and taken with the love they share.

* * *

 

The whole thing didn’t last very long and Korra would be lying if she said she wasn’t a little bit disappointed. Sure, it was short and concise, with two closest friends and an official person and Korra didn’t have to worry about at least a couple hundred guests and a whole ceremony and reception and everything else that came along with it. But she kinda wished her mom and dad were there. And she knew Asami wished Hiroshi had been there too.

But when they finally got to say  _ yes _ to one another, when the words were out there and they’d both made the tiniest of speeches -  _ I will love you as long as you promise to cuddle me every night,  _ Asami had said, to which Korra quipped that Asami’s  _ personal heater will never run out of power _ , much to Rox’s hidden gagging from behind - and the rings were finally in their rightful places, they shared a look, one filled with longing and love, buzzing with trust and honesty and it was enough.

One look and Korra knew they’d done the best thing they could possibly have done, that this decision was the best they could have taken and that no matter how much she would have loved to have done it the silly, traditional way, this was what worked best for them.

It took exactly thirty minutes for the four of them to be out of the building and sitting at the nearby bar with a bottle of champagne on the table and their glasses raised up for a toast.

“It would have been nice if you’d told us, y’know, now I don’t have a speech,” Rox grumbled, “You didn’t even give me the chance to top yours. How rude.”

Korra grinned sheepishly and turned to peck Asami’s cheek before sticking her tongue out at Rox. “We didn’t really plan this but there’s always next time, right?” The words barely left Korra’s mouth when she felt Asami jab her in the ribs, albeit gently, with her elbow. 

“There will be no next time for you.” Asami murmured and hurried to put her glass down, slipping her hands to Korra’s face as she smushed her cheeks and pressed their lips together. “Just this one time.” 

Korra’s grin couldn’t possibly be matched by anyone while she tried whispering against Asami’s lips, completely ignoring Rox and Iris on the other side of the table. “Just this one time, forever, right?” 

Asami nodded and pulled away, much to Korra’s dismay, and smirked at the way Korra’s bottom lip jutted out in the most adorable pout.  _ Later,  _ Asami mouthed soundlessly, certain that only Korra would notice. From the faint blush on her lover’s cheeks and the way Korra’s eyes seemed to glisten with recognition, Asami knew her message was loud and clear, even if she hadn’t said a single word. 

She slipped her hand in Korra’s, lacing their fingers together, and reveling in the feeling of Korra’s ring brushing against her skin. It made her feel warmer than she’d ever felt and happiness bubbling in her chest was begging to burst. 

“So what’s the plan now?” Iris asked after clearing her throat and tearing their attention from one another. She barely stifled a giggle how Korra and Asami both turned almost in unison with seemingly bashful looks on their faces. 

“We elope.” Asami said with a smile.

“Wait, aren’t you supposed to elope first, then get married? Isn’t there a general rule you do that  _ while  _ eloping?” Rox leaned over on her elbow, chin resting in her palm.

“I wasn’t aware there was a rule,” Asami mumbled, eyes glancing back and forth between Rox and Iris.

“You two are doing everything backwards.” Rox murmured with a smirk. “And I suppose there isn’t a rule but that is generally the way things go.” 

Korra and Asami both shrugged.

“Where exactly are you going?” Iris asked with a smile, reaching out for Rox’s hand and taking it into her own. “To Greece, an island called Skystones.” Korra said, proudly lifting her chin. 

“Sweetie, it’s not skystones, it’s Skiathos.” Asami added, gently tracing her thumb over Korra’s knuckles. “My assistant is actually part Greek and suggested it. Apparently it’s  _ divine _ this time of year.” 

“And who exactly, besides us,” Rox waved a finger between herself and Iris, “Knows about this?” 

“Well.” Asami started but promptly closed her mouth, trying to think up better words to express her thoughts. Korra shifted in her seat and continued instead.

“Nobody.” She chewed on her bottom lip before speaking again. “Not yet, at least.” 

There was a distinct lack of shock on Iris’ and Rox’s face but Rox spoke up anyway.

“So you’re just going to disappear for… How long exactly?” 

“Ten days!” Korra beamed a wide smile, proud to have at least gotten that right. Asami leaned over and pecked her cheek, squeezing her hand lightly.

“You’re going to disappear for  ten days and you haven’t thought of telling anyone except us. Huh.” Rox leaned back in her seat, bringing her hand up to scratch her jaw just below her ear. “You do realize that your parents will start a search party, right?” 

The question was directed at both of them and after Korra and Asami sighed, fully aware of the fact that their plan does have a few rather large holes, Asami spoke up again.

“We’ll let them know we’re going somewhere, I guess.” 

“We can’t!” Korra whined, staring at her.

“You really should though,” Iris said, “Just call them from the airport or something, make sure they can’t come say bye and just tell them you’re safe and okay and that there’s no need to worry.” 

It took Rox a few moments but then all Korra and Asami had said seemed to hit her once again and her expression changed into a wide grin. “Oh god they’re gonna pester you so much. Oh my god.” Her eyes widened and she leaned over the table with both her arms gripping to the edge. “Oh my dear lordy lord, they will literally kill you for getting married in secret.” 

Asami’s head fell in the palm of her hand and Korra groaned particularly loudly. 

“We are aware.” Asami muttered. 

Iris pulled out her phone and sighed. “Well, I’d love to stay here and hang out with the newly weds, but I have to get home and get ready for my shift tonight.” She quickly put her things away and stood beside the table, arms open in an invitation. “Hugs before you go off to have lots of horizontal mambo in Greece?” She grinned and Korra made a face while Rox laughed out, slipping out from the booth and standing beside her. 

“You better be in good shape for the start of the season.” Rox said when Korra pulled her in a tight hug. She could feel the vibrations of her laughter and couldn’t help but laugh herself. “No skipping out on morning runs.” 

“Oh don’t worry we’ll be doing plenty of morning-” 

“Korra!” Asami slapped a hand over Korra’s arm before all but melting into Rox’s familiar arms, smiling as they both stepped away. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she’s eating properly and taking care of herself.” 

“You do that. And you take care of yourself too.” 

“I will,” Asami said with a warm smile.

“And try to leave the room at least once a day,” Rox joked, “Especially the bed.” 

Korra flipped her off and Rox only laughed harder, patting her back before she stepped back next to Iris and slipped her arm around her shoulders.

They said their goodbyes for a couple more minutes and it wasn’t until after Rox and Iris had left the place and there was nothing but the slow, mellow music playing in the background and the murmur of the surrounding patrons around them that Korra and Asami realized just what had happened earlier in the day. 

They switched seats, content to just bask in the excitement of it all, and moved to sit on a shaggy old couch at the back of the bar, sighing contently, leaned against one another and with their hands held together. If these were their first moments spent together as wife and wife, they’d spend them in complete and blissful silence. 

That was, until Korra broke it. 

Her lips curled in a wide, warm smile and when she spoke, her voice was the sweetest Asami had maybe ever heard it. 

“Hey,” She murmured, “Guess what?” 

Asami couldn’t help but smile. “What?” 

“You’re my wife.” Korra turned to face her, pulling one leg up and underneath herself. “We’re married, Asami. Finally.” 

“We are.” Asami said and leaned in to peck Korra’s lips, murmuring against them. “And yes, my dear, I am your wife. And you are mine.” Her own lips widened in a grin and it wasn’t until Korra pulled her bottom lip between her own that her smile faded, if only a little.

The next half hour were spent in a laid back state, relaxed and cozy next to one another, until they remembered they hadn’t really packed. At all. 

To say that Asami was panicking would be an understatement. 

It  _ was _ an understatement.

* * *

 

“Is it ringing?” Asami asked from the side, matching Korra’s steps as they made their way across the large airport.

“Yup.” Korra mumbled and hurried to the closest free seat.

They had just passed the check in area and had another hour before the flight so the time seemed perfect to give both their parents a call. Brave as she was, Korra volunteered to go first. 

“Hi dad,” she said when her father’s voice welcomed her from the other side of the line, “I’m good, yeah, she is too.” She smiled in Asami’s direction, the kind of smile that made Asami’s knees weak and her chest swell with warmth. “Oh yeah, I saw the game, it was a good one. Look dad, um, is mom there?” 

Asami waited patiently in the seat next to Korra’s, fiddling with her phone and glancing nervously in Korra’s direction every now and again.

“Mhm, yeah, everything is alright I just, well, we just wanted to tell you that we’re actually going away from a while.” 

Tonraq and Senna must have said something that startled her because a second later Korra’s voice rose to a teeny tiny pitch higher. 

“No, no! We’re not moving mom, we’re just going to Gr- on a vacation! We’re going on a ten day vacation and we-” Korra was cut off by what Asami could only assume was more of her parents’ worried speeches but then Korra cleared her throat and there was silence in the phone. 

“Mom, dad, we’re just going on a vacation, for goodness sake, we’re not going to a different galaxy. We didn’t tell anyone because we didn’t want any of those famous ‘going away parties’ you like to throw. We’ll let you know when we land - no, no mom I am not telling you where we’re going,  no, we didn’t tell anyone…” Korra’s voice trailed off and she sighed, resting her head in her hand. “Dad. Can you tell mom we’re going to be okay? We’re grown women, seriously. Look um, I have to go, we need to go board the plane. I’ll call you when we land. I love you both, Asami says she does too, bye!” 

Korra hung up before neither Tonraq nor Senna could say more and when she turned to Asami and their eyes met, she simply shrugged her shoulder and smiled when Asami pulled her in a hug. 

“Good job, babe.” Asami murmured next to her ear and pressed a gentle kiss just below it before she pulled back. “My turn. Wish me luck.” 

Korra raised her hand with her thumb pointing up and smiled sheepishly, putting her phone away and shifting in her seat when Asami stood up and brought  her own phone to her ear. 

“Hey dad,” She murmured, “How are you?” 

Korra was observing her, carefully keeping her eyes on Asami’s features and the look she had in her eyes, the warm smile and her gentle expression, it made Korra feel as if she’d gotten to see something out of this world. Something,  _ someone _ so ethereal and brilliant, and not only did she get to gaze at her, she got to be there with her, got to reach out and lace their fingers - which she did right away because the pull to do it was too strong and really, she’d never deny herself that privilege - and she got to bask in this woman’s warmth, revel in her soothing presence. 

“No, no reason, well, I mean, I wanted to tell you something.” Asami said and took a step forward, only to take two back, fingers playing with Korra’s own. “Actually no, we’re not at home, we’re at the airport.” She glanced at Korra and their eyes met for the briefest of moments, before she looked away again. “Everything is okay, don’t worry, I just wanted to call you to let you know we’re going on vacation for ten days and we’ll be out of the country. No, we actually didn’t tell anyone until now.” 

Asami frowned slightly and the protective part in Korra almost made her jump out of her seat to wrap her arms around her wife. But then Asami’s lips curled in a smile and Korra’s shoulders fell as she relaxed and leaned back.

“Yes, they’ve got it all covered. Korra actually just called them, yes. Okay, will do. She says hi.” Asami glanced to Korra again. “Dad says hi.” 

Korra gave a small wave and grinned up at her. 

“I have to go, we’re boarding soon. Don’t worry, I’ll call you when we land. Okay, you too dad. I love you.” 

Asami let out a breath that seemed to have been lodged somewhere in her throat and promptly settled down next to Korra, taking her hand fully in her own and lacing their fingers. She nudged Korra’s shoulder and smiled when Korra shifted in her seat to pull her in an embrace.

“That went well.” Korra murmured and slid a hand to Asami’s hair, gently brushing her fingers through it. “Really well actually.” 

“Mhm,” Asami hummed, her breathing evening out with each of Korra’s touches. 

They stayed like that for a few more minutes, with Asami’s nose nuzzled into Korra’s neck and her arms wrapped around Korra’s waist while Korra’s fingers massaged at her scalp and made tiny tremors shoot down her spine each time Korra would hit a particularly sensitive spot. 

“We should probably go to our gate.” Korra murmured into Asami’s hair, pressing gentle kisses to it and moving slowly to rest her lips on Asami’s forehead. 

“Yeah, we should.” Asami said and pulled back, but not before they met for a slow, chaste kiss. “I love you.” Asami whispered into Korra’s lips.

“I love you too, wife of mine.” Korra said with a smile that soon turned into a grin when she caught Asami’s eye roll.

“You’re gonna be saying that all the time now, aren’t you?” 

“Yuuuup.” Korra drawled out the word with a smile and reached out to take Asami’s hand, walking in the direction their gate was in. 

“You’re such a dork.” 

“You love me.” 

Asami’s smile was more than enough of a confirmation, even if Korra didn’t really need any at all.

* * *

 

**SOMEWHERE ON THE WARM, SUNNY COAST OF SKIATHOS**

 

_ I guess dreams sometimes really do come true,  _ Korra thought to herself with a wide smile plastered on her face, one that seemed to have been set there permanently. She inhaled deeply and hurried in her already fast pace, running through a narrow trail of dry sand over one of the many gorgeous beaches they’d been to. 

Even if it was their honeymoon, Korra still had to keep in shape, especially so close to a new season. So she woke up early every day, went for an hour long jog around the nearest beaches and a small town, face splitting with a smile and eyes lighting up every time her thoughts wandered back to the beautiful woman still dreaming in their pleasantly warm bed at the large beach house they’d rented. 

They were already through most of their vacation, with six days behind them and just just four left. Neither really wanted to go back, dreading the trip and the unavoidable shock and disbelief their loved ones will most certainly go through when they announce they’d gone and gotten themselves married without saying a word. 

But as she made her back to the beach house, Korra refused to let herself think about that. Her favourite band was blasting through the earphones, thoughts of Asami dominating her mind and there was nothing that could make the next four days be less wonderful than they would most certainly be, if everything went according to plan. 

Just as she made her way inside the house, Korra was greeted by the smell of freshly brewed coffee and probably still warm Greek pastry that they found absolutely delicious. Moments later her eyes settled on what could only be described as a vision from the heavens, and for the umpteenth time in Korra’s life, her breath was stolen and her heart skipped a beat or two at the sight.

Korra stood against the door frame to take in the image of her wife leaning over the counter, clad in nothing but a thin, silken bathrobe that had slipped down off one shoulder, her hair pushed over the other, a mug in one hand and the other resting on the flat surface. When her breathing finally settled down to a steady, normal pace, Korra made her way over slowly, light on her feet, and let her hands slip to Asami’s waist, inching closer to press a gentle kiss to the bare shoulder.

Asami hummed in response and tilted her head to the side, setting her coffee down and resting both hands on the countertop. 

“Hey you.” She murmured when Korra’s lips traveled up her shoulder, nearing her neck. “How was the run?” 

“It was wonderful,” Korra spoke between kisses,” Not nearly as you though.”

Asami only shook in soft laughter, moving to turn around and face her. 

“Ever the charming one.” 

“For you, always.” Korra whispered before closing the distance between them as she pressed her lips to Asami’s in a warm, soft kiss.

Asami’s arms slipped around her shoulders and she brought Korra closer, angling her head and taking Korra’s bottom lip between her own, placing little nips over the plump flesh and smiling into another kiss when Korra sighed in appreciation. 

“Sure you don’t want us to slip back into bed?” Korra questioned, lips trailing kisses to Asami’s chin. 

“Sweetie…” Asami’s words trailed off when Korra’s arms snaked fully around her waist and they were suddenly pressed so tightly to each other, bodies aching to be close. “We said we’d go out to town today… Korra…” 

A faint, tiny growl came as a response and Asami couldn’t help but laugh.

“Oh my god, did you just growl at me?” 

Korra only nudged Asami’s nose with her own before pulling back and staring at her with the most adorable pout. Asami’s smile widened, fingers brushing through soft brown tresses. 

“You’re so cute when you pout.” She murmured and leaned in to pull Korra’s jutted bottom lip between her teeth, trailing her tongue over it and suckling gently. “I guess we could take a shower together.”

The words barely left her mouth when she was hoisted up, Korra’s hands underneath her, strong arms warm and safe around her. Asami’s head fell back when Korra’s lips latched onto a particularly sensitive part of her neck, surely expertly leaving a bruise, and she wrapped her legs around Korra’s waist, tightening her hold around those broad, nail scraped shoulders. 

Korra already had them halfway to the bathroom when Asami finally got a moment to take a short breath. Needless to say, the shower took far longer than expected and the walk to town happened much, much later that evening.

* * *

 

“Sweetie, you didn’t have to.” Asami mumbled through a smile, holding the large bouquet of flowers pressed tight to her chest. 

“I wanted to.” Korra smiled softly and leaned over to press a quick kiss to Asami’s cheek. “You love flowers, I love you, it all adds up.” She explained with a grin.

Asami chuckled at her words as they fell into step together and Korra reached out and wrapped an arm around around Asami’s waist, pulling her closer as they made their way to the small restaurant at the edge of the pier. 

They settled down and a waiter came out to take their orders, bringing complimentary treats and almost immediately coming back out to give them a bottle of champagne because Korra just couldn’t help but tell everyone they were on their honeymoon, including the waiter who’d just come to take their orders. 

Asami blushed through her small speech and the waiter congratulated them and told them their orders would be done shortly, offering to take their picture when he saw Korra trying to take a selfie of them and failing. 

“Ok, ok, one more,” Korra said, grinning as she pulled a smiling Asami in tighter, arms wrapped around her, and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Oh this one’s going up on Facebook later tonight!” She all but shouted in excitement when the waiter handed her phone back and retreated to the kitchen to get their food. 

Asami peeked over and nodded, slipping her hand into Korra’s and leaning back in her chair. 

The dinner went by too fast, much to their dismay, filled with Korra’s dorky love proclamations, Asami’s exaggerated reactions and the quiet chuckles from the staff and most of the other patrons that seemed to enjoy the truly happy newlyweds. 

They walked back to the beach house and Asami took the time to explain stars and constellations to her smitten wife who didn’t really pay much attention to anything other than Asami’s face and the way her eyes seemed to be even more dazzling in the warm light of the night sky. 

When they finally got back, Korra posted their picture online, captioning it with a very vague ‘ _ chillin’ with the bae’  _ and slipped into bed just a little after her wife. 

Sleep, however, came much later, after breathy ‘ _ I love yous’,  _ moans that echoed through the house and wandering hands that only seemed to settle down to a calm when the two finally found each other’s soft embrace in the quiet of the early morning hours.

* * *

 

_ Ding. _

_ Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. _

_ Ding. Ding. _

_ Ding. Ding. Ding. _

_ Ding. _

“Baby, turn that thing off, please,” Korra drawled, still in a half-sleeping state, head burrowed into Asami’s shoulder, “It’s too early for all the ringing.” 

_ Ding. Ding. _

“It’s not mine.” Asami grumbled back, one hand reaching for the nightstand, trying to pick her phone up, the other resting on Korra’s bicep, with her arm wrapped tightly around her wife. When she finally managed to grab the phone, she took one short look at the screen and hummed with a smirk, “Nope, not me.” She set her phone back down and reached for Korra’s, holding it for her sleepy wife to take. “You’re getting an awful lot of notifications, babe.”

_ Ding. _

Korra groaned against her shoulder and, after a long minute of huffing and grumbling, finally propped herself up on one arm and took the offending item, squinting at the all too bright screen when she was past the lock screen.

_ Ding. _

“Oh for fuc-  _ Shit.”  _ The words slipped out of her mouth before Korra could stop herself and Asami’s head immediately snapped to her, eyes set on Korra’s own.

“What’s the matter sweetie? What happened?” Asami moved to sit up, reaching for Korra’s face and setting a calming hand on her cheek, stroking gently. “Baby, come on, what’s up?” 

Korra seemed to had managed to snap out of whatever confused and dazed state she was in when she leaned into Asami’s touch and tilted her head to press a soft kiss to her palm. She then sat up all the way, legs crossed in front of her, hands resting on them, phone in her lap. She took one deep breath before speaking.

“Check your phone.” She murmured, staring at her wife. “We’re in trouble.” 

Asami’s eyes widened at her words but she grabbed for her phone nonetheless, hurriedly unlocking the screen and gasping when over forty notifications greeted her. 

“What the…”

“I think the wifi here wasn’t working properly last night or something but all the messages from last night got in right now and we’re so toast,” Korra mumbled, eyes still set on Asami’s, “That photo I posted last night-”

“The rings.” Asami spoke quietly, finally looking up into Korra’s eyes. “We forgot about the rings.”

“Yuuuup.” Korra drawled out the word, biting her bottom lip. 

Asami turned to check her phone again and gasped, hand flying to her mouth, “Oh my god I have twenty messages from my dad.” She looked at her wife once more, frowning when she noticed the same look pass over Korra’s features as well. “Don’t tell me… About as many from Senna and Tonraq?” 

“Yuuuup.” Korra nodded. “About ten of them were my mom threatening to disown me when we come back.” The corners of her lips twitched in a tiny smile. “I can’t believe we forgot about the rings.” 

“To be honest, I’m not really surprised, we were so distracted last night and well, when we got to the room we got even more distracted…” Asami smirked, eyebrow raised slightly as she set her phone down. “Not much we can do about this anymore.” 

“Rox is gonna have a field day.” Korra grumbled, rolling her eyes.

“And Iris is never gonna let me live this down.” Asami added with a groan and closed her eyes to clear her mind. After a couple minutes of silence she spoke up again. “We’re gonna have to Skype them.” 

“Yuuuup.” Korra drawled out the word, popping the last letter rather loudly. She was not, in the least, excited about this Skype call.

“Not now though, it’s around three in the morning over there.” 

“Yuuuup.” Korra only repeated, slipping her hand into Asami’s.

“Should we get them all at the same place?” 

“Yeah, that sounds good.” Korra murmured and settled onto her side, gazing at the beauty lying beside her. “I’ll text my mom and you text your dad, tell him to go over to my parent’s place. They’ll all be up at 9, right?” 

Asami looked at her. “Are we sure we wanna be having this talk with them when they’ve just gotten out of their bed?” 

“I know but it’s already gonna be past midnight here. Or we can just wait till we get home.” 

“I don’t know…”

“I mean, we’re here for a couple more days, and I’m sure my mom will fly over just to get us to tell her everything.” Korra joked with a rather serious undertone in her words. “They’ve survived the initial shock and they got to sleep on it. They can handle it.” She conceded, huffing proudly to herself. 

“I’m texting my dad now then. We have time to prepare for this.” Asami said with a smile as she put her phone away.

The corner of Korra’s lips curled in a devious smirk. “I’d rather we use our time more pleasurably.” She murmured, leaning close to press a kiss to Asami’s cheek.

“I do like that idea.” Asami said with a sparkle in her eyes as she slipped her hands around Korra’s neck and pulled her in for a deep, long kiss.

* * *

 

The day passed far too quickly for both their liking and soon enough Korra and Asami were rummaging around the vacation house, both far too nervous to just sit around and wait for their parents to show up on Skype.

Korra was currently busy eating her third bowl of some Greek equivalent of cereal that actually tasted about five times better and Asami was wasting her time redoing her hair for the fourth time. As much as Korra was nervous before they actually got married, she seemed to be a little more calm now.

It probably had a lot to do with the fact that they were a couple thousand miles away from Hiroshi. 

Asami grinned to herself at the fact and a chuckle escaped her, catching Korra’s attention.

“What’s so funny?” Korra mumbled with her mouth full, eyeing her.

“I was just thinking how you’re so calm right now and what a wreck you were back at City Hall, ten minutes before we got hitched.” 

Korra swallowed before sending a sheepish grin her way. “This is different. I’ve got you here with me now and I’m not worried I’ll say something really stupid instead of saying ‘I do’ and signing my name on a piece of paper.” Korra shrugged. “And besides, your dad is like, a couple thousand miles away.” 

“Mhm, I thought you’d say something like that.” Asami said through a smile as she made her way over to Korra and sat down beside her. 

Her laptop was set on the kitchen island so she pulled it closer and just in time as the sound of Skype call began ringing through the room. 

Korra sputtered and nearly choked on her cereal, shooting up from the chair and putting the bowl away into the sink as she wiped herself off hurriedly and sat back beside Asami who’d already accepted the call with a nervous twitch in her fingers.

It took a few seconds for the line to connect through and Korra couldn’t help but grin when she saw the two of them in the bottom corner - the sight of them together always did bring a smile to her face and pleasant warmth around her heart.

Then the image from the call came through and three faces showed up on screen.

Three very serious, very murderous-looking faces. 

Asami swallowed and was the first to speak.

“Hi dad. Hello Senna, Tonraq.” 

Korra quipped in after her. “Hey mom, dad.” She audibly gulped. “Hiroshi.”

More silence greeted them for a few longer moments and Korra could swear this was even worse than that one time she and Asami got caught sneaking out back in high-school and Senna spent the evening lecturing them with her most serious and angered face. 

Oh this was far,  _ far  _ worse.

But after a second or two more of silence, Tonraq’s face scrunched up in what Korra recognized was a valiant attempt at keeping a straight face, before he burst out laughing and quickly ducked away from the camera with the sound of his laughter echoing behind Hiroshi and Senna. 

Hiroshi was the one to follow, albeit with a much reserved reaction, when his grumpy expression almost immediately changed into smirk and he chuckled slightly, scratching his beard.

Senna was the last one to react and as Korra studied her face, she could see the slight hurt behind her eyes and the small smile her features morphed into after a few moments of frowning profusely. 

Tonraq chose that moment to come back in the picture, standing beside Hiroshi and placing an arm around Senna’s shoulder. 

“So,  _ newlyweds _ ,” He started, making sure to draw out the word as long as possible, “How’s vacation?” 

Korra’s cheeks warmed and Asami squirmed beside her, speaking up.

“It’s wonderful. Sunny, warm, the food is great, people are nice and-”

“And you two are married.” Hiroshi decided to cut in and finish for her with a smirk. Tonraq chuckled beside him. 

Korra cleared her throat. “Yup. Yes. We are. We’re married. I married Asami, she married me and now we’re a couple. I mean no, we’re a married couple. Yup. That we are.” She babbled on until Asami placed a hand on her own and squeezed her fingers gently, smiling at her when Korra turned to look at her. She sighed and let out a long breath, trying to calm herself down while Tonraq tried his hardest to stop himself from chuckling harder on the other side of the line. “Yes, we’re married.” Korra looked to Asami once more and leaned into her, entwining their fingers and placing a quick kiss to her cheek.

Hiroshi cleared his throat as Tonraq sat down beside him, both staring fondly at them, with small smiles seemingly etched on their faces. Only Senna’s expression was still unreadable and it wasn’t until she spoke up that Korra fully understood how her mother felt about the whole ordeal.

“I wish we could have been there.” Senna spoke softly, placing her hands on the table in front of her. “We are happy for you sweetie, both of you, god knows we’ve been waiting for this to happen since you two were kids.” She smiled momentarily, eyeing Asami whose cheeks had turned a reddish colour. “And we love you both so very much. This is truly beautiful news girls and I hope you understand that being married to the one you love is one of the most wonderful things you’ll ever feel - not that it’s necessary, of course - and I hope we can still be there for the two of you if you ever need some guidance or advice. Okay?” 

Asami nodded. “We do, Senna. Thank you. I would say I’m sorry this went through the way it did but I’d be lying and you know I’d never do that to any of you. Korra and I have been in love with each other for so long and when she asked me-” 

“Ha!” Tonraq shouted, “Told you she was the one to pop the question!” He grinned excitedly and Korra could feel a mountain of pride and childish joy swelling inside her chest as he pointed at his hand and waved it at the screen, mouthing the words  _ ‘biggest high-five for you, sweetie’  _ at her. 

Asami ducked her head to laugh and Korra grinned at them. “I couldn’t help it. She was just… I just… It was such a spur of the moment kind of thing in the end, even though I literally spent months thinking about it and planning it out but I just couldn’t stop myself at the time. It was everything I ever hoped to have when I was a little girl imagining what love would be like.” She looked at her mother, leaning on her elbow and resting her chin in the palm of her hand. “It’s like those stories you used to tell me about our ancestors, mom, and how they would spend their lives searching for their other piece and if they found it, they would hold it near and close and never let go and well, I just never want to let her” – she turned to Asami and squeezed her hand again“ – I don’t want to let you go. Ever again.” 

Tonraq audibly awwed from the other side and Hiroshi patted his shoulder. “I’m so glad you girl found each other.” He said and kept his eyes on Asami. “Your mother would be so happy for you, my dear.” 

Asami felt her eyes mist over with her father’s words and Korra’s arms were already around her before she could even say anything back to him. It took a moment for her to compose herself enough to speak again.

“Thank you dad,” She murmured through a sniffle, “It means so much.” 

Hiroshi nodded softly while Tonraq leaned closer to the camera. “I’m actually kind of surprised you didn’t go to Vegas though.” He grinned and Korra couldn’t help but laugh out ‘cause it had crossed their minds and they were actually so close to just flying there. 

“We thought about it,” Asami started, “But it would have taken too long.” 

Senna sighed softly but her smile remained as she spoke. “Any wedding photos at all? My walls are starting to look rather empty.” 

Korra returned her smile and kept her arms tight around her wife. “Rox and Iris took a few but don’t worry, we’ve already talked to a wedding planner and there will, of course, be a party and all that.” 

At that, Senna visibly perked up, but Korra could still see some traces of sadness in her mother’s eyes. So she spoke up again, trying to explain it all a little better.

“I know you wanted to be there and part of me wishes we’d woken you up, called you over and had you sit there in the back while we signed our papers and said ‘ _ I do’.  _ But… I don’t really know how to explain it but, there were so many parts of us, of Asami and me, so many instances and memories and moments of ours shared with everyone else. We’ve been through so much together, there are things between us that we are not proud of but we’re happy they’ve brought us here and so much of our lives is just… Out there. And so much more of it will be, really. I mean, Asami’s brilliant and wonderful and she’s got this whole future ahead of her and so many new doors opening and me… well I hope my career picks up and I get to play more and be out there as much as possible and you know, count all that in and we’ll pretty much be everywhere. Our relationship,  _ our marriage _ , I don’t think it’ll ever be such a private thing again, not as private as it was that day when. And don’t get me wrong, I love all of you, I love our friends, our relatives… We don’t mind anyone but… We really wanted this to be just us. Our moment, and our moment alone. And were it not for that whole witness thing, we wouldn’t have bothered Rox and Iris either.” 

Korra let out a long, deep breath and her eyes remained trained on her mother who’d kept staring at her intently throughout her little speech. Asami’s hands were in her own and she could feel the way her lithe fingers were tracing tiny patterns over Korra’s skin to soothe her.

“We understand, sweetheart.” Tonraq was the one to break the silence. “And as much as we’ll always wish we could have been there with you to share in that moment, we know and understand what it means to the two of you and we know it’s not that you didn’t want us there but that the circumstances were just… well, special. For the lack of a better word. “He smiled softly before continuing as Senna and Hiroshi both nodded beside him. “Which was, honestly, to be expected because you two are remarkable women who deserve the world and that much more, and nothing will ever be ordinary with the two of you.” 

“Yes, exactly.” Hiroshi agreed. “And we expect a detailed description of the proposal and the whole wedding process when you invite us all for tea and cookies.” He joked though Korra’s cheeks instantly flared when she remembered the way she proposed and what the proposal actually followed after. 

Asami had to pinch the skin of her hand to bring her wandering thoughts back.

“You’ll get all the juicy details.” Asami murmured with a sheepish smile. “Over tea and cookies.”

“We’ll throw in some cake for good measure.” Korra joked, much to Tonraq’s delight. 

Senna then cleared her throat. “Well then, my wonderful girls. You’ve got two more days there so use them and get some well deserved rest and don’t think about anything besides each other.” She chuckled. “Soon enough you’ll have so many things on your mind that finding time for one another will become a feat. But I know you two will always manage that. We’re gonna go have some tea and cookies now,” She turned to Hiroshi, “Aren’t we?” 

“Yes, indeed.” He grinned. “You two have fun!” 

“And bring us some deliciousness when you come back!” Tonraq added. 

“We will.” Korra said before both Asami and her started waving at their parents. “We’ll see you guys in a few days.” 

“Bye girls!” 

“Bye!” 

The moment they ended the call and closed the app, Korra and Asami exhaled loudly and leaned into one another, trying to regain some strength. 

“That was something else.” Asami murmured.

“It sure was.”

* * *

 

The trip home was exhausting but painless.

They’d made sure to book an overnight flight back and, even though filled with sadness that they had to love the beautiful place behind, Korra and Asami were thorough and quick to pack for their way back and after getting themselves a taxi and a ride to the airport, they found themselves sitting on the plane and waiting for it to finally take off.

With a few last glances through the window, they vowed to come back at least once more, and this time they’d drag Rox and Iris with them ‘cause no one should miss out on this wonderful experience. 

A trip through Europe also sounded quite tempting… But it would have to wait for a few years longer.

The flight was better than the arriving one, calm and quiet, with no disturbances and not too much turbulence to disrupt their light sleep.

Korra found herself waking up a few times, with her head on Asami’s shoulder and their hands together, fingers entwined. She’d simply smile to herself and press a kiss to Asami’s neck, revel in the way it made her wife shiver and then go back to sleep, nuzzling closer and pulling a blanket over them.

The last time she woke up was when the pilot announced they were preparing for landing and were thirty minutes away from home and Asami’s wonderful and sleepy face welcomed her back to awakeness. 

“Hey.” Asami murmured, pressing a kiss to Korra’s lips. “We’re home.” 

“Mmhm.” Korra hummed. “I’m so glad we don’t have to take a taxi back to ours tho.” 

“Say that again.” Asami said with a childlike smile on her face. 

“Uhm… I’m glad we don’t have to take a taxi back to ou- Oh.” Korra’s lips curled in a smile matching Asami’s. “Back to ours.” 

Asami leaned in and captured her lips again, slipping her hands to Korra’s face and cupping her cheeks gently. “Ours.” 

“Has a nice ring to it.” 

“Sure does.” Asami whispered, peppering kisses all over Korra’s face. She pulled back a few moments later, content and giddy. “And yes, Rox and Iris are a blessing for coming to pick us up.” 

“You know, I never thought I’d have something like this with Rox. Not after… Well, everything. I hoped I’d patch things up but I never dreamed I’d find my closest friend in her.” 

“Closer than Mako?” 

Korra’s brows furrowed and Asami laughed at her expression. “Mako’s my weirdly awkward ex. He falls in the super close friends category but he’s not the one that punched some sense into me.” 

“True that.” Asami booped Korra’s nose and settled back in her seat to fasten her seatbelt as the landing process began. “I hope our planner has some nice ideas ‘cause we really need to throw that party as soon as possible, now that everyone knows.” 

“I’m sure he does, baby.” Korra soothed, lacing their hands together once more after she’d fastened her own seatbelt. “We’ll think about that tomorrow thought, ‘cause I just want to relax today and go see our parents after we have lunch with Rox and Iris.” 

“And we’re having a movie night tonight.” Asami quickly added.

Korra only turned to her and grinned. 

Twenty minutes later they were making their way out of the plane and speeding through the arrivals area at the airport. The place was gigantic and it took them nearly ten minutes to reach the customs area and then ten more to wait for their bags. By the time they’d finally picked up and made their way to the main door, they could already see Rox and Iris waving at them from the back. 

“We’re home.” Korra said as she took Asami’s hand in her own.

“Yes, we are.” Asami murmured back and laced their fingers, quickly squeezing her hand before they were both engulfed in a giant hug that Iris had bestowed upon them.

“Lovebirds!” She all but chirped when she let them go and stepped back to let Rox hug them. “Or should I call you  _ those that suck at keeping a huge secret _ ? 

Rox didn’t even bother suppressing her snort. “You know I had to give her twenty bucks ‘cause of you guys, right?” 

Korra gasped. “What?” 

Asami ran a hand through her hair, glaring at Iris. “Did you two bet on this?” 

“Of course,” Iris grinned at them, “I told her you wouldn’t make it through a week without the news getting out.” 

“Oh my god.” Asami groaned.

“I honestly don’t know how she does it.” Rox grumbled beside her. “She’s freakishly good at these things.” She leaned down to pick up Korra’s bag, swinging it over her shoulder. “Come on though, we got a table at that great Italian place you really like and I’m sure your parents are dying to inspect the rings in person.” She teased, much to both Korra’s and Asami’s dismay. 

Thought they didn’t really mind it all that much. They could handle a little friendly teasing and truth be told, they really weren’t surprised at all at the fact their secret marriage lasted a secret a little over five days.

“Oh good, I’m starving.” Korra mumbled, trying to tug the bag away from Rox. “Come on, I can carry that.” 

“Consider it me being nice ‘cause you asked me to be your best man. Woman. Uh. Girl. Best girl.” Rox chuckled as they left the airport and made their way across the parking lot. 

Iris and Asami were behind them, trotting after them slowly and catching up, with Asami excitedly listening to all the news Iris could sum up in the short few minutes it took to reach their car. They both settled in the back, letting Korra and Rox have the front and chat away about soccer, while they divulged all the gossip Iris could think of.

The drive to the restaurant was quick, and lunch was as delicious as Korra remembered. They didn’t stay too long though, and soon enough Rox and Iris were dropping them off at their place with a promise to come over in the next few days for some tea and cookies which was quickly turning out to be their go-to phrase for hanging out.

Korra was in the middle of unlocking, and opening, their apartment door when a noise from inside the flat caught her attention. She stilled, cautious, and extended an arm behind, grasping for Asami’s hand and tilting her head to shush her. 

When she pushed the door open fully and took a step inside, it took all her strength not to recoil and fall back from the amount of noise that greeted her.

“Surprise!!” Came the shouting from their large, open-space living room, now filled with at least thirty people they really weren’t expecting to see first thing when they come home.

“Uh?” Korra stood there, gaping, eyes scanning through all the familiar faces until they landed on her father’s childishly excited face and she let out a breath before doubling over in laughter as Asami peeked over her shoulder and was greeted by even more ‘ _ surprise!’ _ shouts and a few ‘ _ welcome home!’ _ ones. 

Tonraq, Senna and Hiroshi were the first ones to rush towards them and engulf them in biggest, warmest hug they’d ever felt, and after a minute or two of just standing there and hugging, they let go, only to have all the other guests come over and congratulate them.

Rox and Iris showed up five minutes later with matching grins plastered on their lips and large boxes which Korra and Asami weren’t allowed to look at until later when everyone left. 

It wasn’t a lot of people, they realized about half an hour later when their bags were dragged inside and they’d been given a few minutes to catch their breath, change their outfits and come back out, only to have glasses of champagne thrust in their hands and Senna’s famous man-catching cake waiting on the counter.

Senna deemed the whole event a small gathering of close family and friends, and in all honesty, she wasn’t wrong. They were there, Rox and Iris, Korra’s teammates and some of Asami’s closest co workers. But it did come to a sum of thirty-odd people and the small gathering was actually substantially bigger than small and Korra would definitely not have deemed it a gathering. A party though… That it was. 

Luckily for them, it didn’t go on too long and everyone was considerate of their exhaustion. They left till the evening rolled in, with their parents being the last ones to stick around and give them another round of warm hugs, this time embellished with a few stray tears and quiet words of praise and joy. 

By the time Korra and Asami finally managed to make their way to their bed, it was around ten and they’d just found the newest Star Wars movie on Netflix. Cuddled close and tight to one another, they talked through the movie, reminiscent of the first few times they’d had sleepovers and laughing at the fact that somehow, deep down, they’d both known it’d end up like this. 

“You know, I’m really happy you moved here.” Asami murmured, huddled close to Korra, nuzzling her neck. “I don’t think I could have fallen for anyone this hard.”

Korra grinned with her eyes closed, her voice dreamy as she responded. “I know, right? I’m just that irresistible.” 

Asami couldn’t bother moving to swat at her. “Dork.” 

“You love me though.” 

“Yes, I do. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Sami.”

* * *

 

**_THREE YEARS LATER_ **

 

“Sami, hun, can you go check on the babies? I’m kind of in the middle of this sauce and if I don’t stir it I’m afraid I’ll totally mess it up!” Korra called from the kitchen, one hand busy stirring the contents of a large pot, the other carefully adding pasta to another pot full of boiling water.

“Way ahead of you sweetie!” Asami’s voice came through from somewhere in the house, echoing through the large space. 

Korra smiled to herself and hummed along with the radio when the doorbell rang. 

“It’s open!” She called, grinning when the doors began to open even before she’d said anything. The sight of Iris with a little child in her arms made her grin even wider. “You’re right on time, lunch is about done.” 

“Hey!” Iris called from the door, “Smells divine. Where are the kids?” 

“They’re out in the back with Sami, she’s just gone to check on them, you know they’re little rascals.” 

“Well they are  _ your _ kids, I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Rox said from behind Iris as they both walked in and closed the door. 

“Oh like little Jake is any better.” Korra joked, winking at the little boy in Iris’ arms. “Ain’t I right fella?” 

Right on cue Asami came walking in with two little bundles of absolute terror and joy in her arms, one cuddled close to her and the other flailing its arms and talking some baby gibberish very loudly right beside her ear. She caught sight of Rox empty handed and instantly hurried to her, handing her the baby girl with an exasperated look. 

“You’re like, almost her godmother, you take care of her.” She mumbled and quickly made her way to Iris. “Hey you,” She murmured and pressed a quick kiss to the little boy’s cheek, “How are you doing little one?” Her attention quickly got back to her daughter and Rox. “Oh Yasuko’s a little super active today, good luck Rox!” 

Korra stared at them with the biggest smile on her face and it wasn’t until Iris asked if something was burning that she realized she’d completely forgotten about the sauce. Luckily, she was still able to fix the damages.

Later on they were all sat around the large table outside on the terrace and Korra was feeding their baby boy and Asami had her hands busy with their daughter.

“So you father’s gonna take both of them for the weekend?” Iris asked, pressing a spoon of baby food to Jake’s mouth gently. “How’s Aaron gonna take it?” 

“I’m sure he’ll be okay.” Asami murmured and ruffled the little boy’s hair. “He’s getting better at being away from us now. And besides, he’s got his little sister with him and he’ll have to take care of her, won’t you little guy?” She leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek, nuzzling it afterwards, much to the child’s joy.

Korra grinned before clearing her throat to speak.

“Ok so, I’m gonna go put Farty Poo and Drooly Poo to bed and you two can put your little Smelly Poo to bed with them so we can have some quality afternoon tea time.” 

Rox’s shoulders were shaking with quiet laughter. “Farty Poo and Drooly Poo?” 

“Yup.” Korra popped the last letter of the word proudly. “

“You two are the biggest dorks in the universe.” Rox finally managed to catch her breath. “I swear to god.” 

“That we are.” Asami grinned at her and took Korra’s hand, ushering her close to press their lips together.

Later on in the early evening hours, they were still sitting outside with their drinks in their hands and their children running around the yard and Rox lazily asked, “Can’t we just call them the Sato babies?” 

Korra first glared at her, then just shrugged. “I guess it does kinda make sense, I mean Asami is a great engineer…” 

“TMI on your sex life, Korra.” Iris quipped and joined in on Asami’s laughter that had seeped in through the quiet of the evening.

* * *

 

**_A FEW MORE YEARS LATER_ **

 

Numerous times Korra found herself thinking back to that fateful day when she’d moved to a new city, all sullen and doubtful, wishing she could just go back where she came from because the prospect of making new friends and meeting new people was something absolutely terrifying. 

But then she thought how, that way, she’d never have met Asami, and suddenly everything else felt absolutely insignificant. And every day for the rest of… well for as much as she can remember, she never once forgot to tell her wife just how she is grateful for that fateful day.

Things changed, of course, they grew older, Korra’s career had picked up, Asami’s company prospered - their friends moved away and then back, Mako found a girlfriend and got married, Bolin’s somewhere off exploring the world and Rox and Iris are living a happy, fulfilled life.

Almost every morning, Asami would wake up first, take a moment to appreciate the adorable sight of messy-haired and sleepy Korra slightly drooling on the pillow next to hers, and she’s just take in the scene, the moment and stow it in her heart as another wonderful memory the two of them made together.

Then she’d go out to the kitchen, start the coffee and feed Naga, check on the still sleeping kids and read the newspaper until Korra woke up, not even fifteen minutes later, because the warmth of Asami’s body had left the bed and Korra just couldn’t sleep without her.

There’d be a mumbled, half-grumbly ‘ _ morning’ _ that always sounded like a swear coming from a sleepy Korra who’d sit down across from her at the kitchen island and sip silently on her coffee. Then about ten minutes into her second cup, every day of their lives like clockwork, Korra would look up, the haze of sleep falling away from those gorgeous blue eyes and she’d look at Asami like she still couldn’t believe she was there, as if Asami was still,  _ always _ , the most beautiful sight she’d ever seen and she’d simply say,  _ “Jesus Asami. You look amazing.”  _ Her lips would curl in a small, gentle smile and she’d add, “ _ I love you,”  _ before going back to her coffee.

And every day, for as long as she can remember, Asami’s heart swelled and her chest felt warmer still, as she fell even deeper in love with the woman before her, and murmur a silent “ _ I love you too,”  _ right back at her.

  
  


**THE END**

**Author's Note:**

> Throw us some feedback, we love it. Also, Tumblr's a great way to stay updated on, uh, updates so yup. [AnotherShotOfBourbon](http://falselordzalzabar.tumblr.com/) can be found here and you'll find [KittyMannequin](http://kittymannequin.tumblr.com/) here.


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